Shelved PLUS
by CandleHeadButt
Summary: An updated revision of my earliest fan fic, Shelved gets an upgrade! In the weeks after the game reset, Taffyta is feeling the reception of an arcade that no longer views her as the sweet racer she wants to be and she doubts her own skills and code because of it. Vanellope wants to help but finds herself in trouble that might throw the game off for good.
1. Chapter 1 - Tarnished

Chapter One – Tarnished

"Okay, let's get ready…"

Breath in, breath out.

"Its just like every other race day…."

Put on gloves, put on helmet.

"How many years have you been doin' this? Nearin' twenty?"

Hop into car, start engines.

It was another glorious race day in Sugar Rush, the sun still up, the sky still bright and every racer lined up and ready for the random roster race. The crowds were going WILD as the kids lined up with their cars but for anyone who was familiar with the little game, they would have told any new comer that the crowds had never been THIS excited before.

Ever since the event, ever since TURBO, the attendance at the races seemed to have doubled.

No, TRIPLED!

When word got out about the shunned racer, the real ruler, one Vanellope Von Schweetz, people HAD to come to see just how fast paced the races were.

And just how good SHE was.

No one could deny it; Vanellope had skill.

What was that saying she was fond of? It was in her code?

Yeah, it was in her code.

She of course led the pack, the crowds cheering more than ever as they saw her little cart come up to the starting line. She waved and smiled, never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that such an outpouring of excitement and love would be thrown towards her. For a greater portion of her life, the only thing she had been given was hatred.

Fueled by a deceitful ruler and warped minds, Vanellope had become a prisoner in her own home.

But things were different now. She had the love and adoration of so many in the arcade that to see them, she just didn't know what to do.

This was a new day for Vanellope Von Schweetz.

But it was also a new day for the other racers as well.

And one in particular.

Taffyta Muttonfudge.

She couldn't hide it from herself no matter how much she wanted to; she didn't want to go out there to the crowds.

It was so ironic that not too long ago, the little pink racer would have LOVED to be in Vanellope's spot. Once upon a time, it was HER who was in the front, HER who the crowds cheered and adored.

But now?

The girl gripped the steering wheel, her gloves squeaking on the candied surface.

She wanted to race, right?

She loved racing, right?

It was in her code…..

RIGHT?

At this point, she no longer knew. All she knew was that once she showed her face, she could hear them.

Not the other racers, not the programmed fans.

THEM.

The other citizens of the arcade. The ones who came from other games just to watch.

Just to watch her fail.

Just to watch her humiliate herself.

It was getting worse each roster race. At first, she paid no mind. The few jeers of fans didn't bother her but as word moved faster and faster around the arcade of what had gone in the game, they started to get louder.

They started to get meaner.

Crueler.

All the anger was aimed at her or at least most of it. There were so many who were not shy about their thoughts of the other racers but when it all came down to it, Taffyta always seemed to get the worst of it.

She heard that they called her. Who couldn't with as loud as they were?

They called her a brat, they called her a bully.

Over and over again, it came. Over and over.

And then they started to get personal. It wasn't just that she was labeled a brat, labeled a bully.

It was her very existence that they attacked.

She was never good. She was programmed to mean. She was never meant to be good.

She was programmed to be terrible, to be nothing, to be a….

A….

A loser.

And their constant yells and jeers when she arrived at the starting line was always there to remind her.

Taffyta might have played a good game but there was no hiding it. She was starting to chip away, little by little, piece by piece.

Like a piece of stale candy.

She was losing focus, losing concentration. Random roster racers were no longer fun to her because she no longer wanted to be there.

Why would she want to be there? She was always surrounded by those who were there to remind her of her 'place'.

And her place was always behind Vanellope.

Because she wasn't like Vanellope, she was always destined to be the loser.

The brat.

The bully.

She pulled her car out into the line-up, pulling up right beside Vanellope.

The tiny candy people cheered, as usual, but their sweet laughter and shouts were all but drowned out by now.

She could ready hear them. Yelling, screaming, laughing.

They wanted her to hear there shouts, they wanted her to hear how they felt.

And she felt it.

She gripped harder onto the steering wheel, her heart pounding and her blood boiling.

She hated this. She hated it so much.

She hated racing, she hated the crowds, she hated….

She hated….

She hated herself.

Three! Two! One!

**_GO!_**

Off like a start the children went, the sugar-filled dust billowing up into the air as tires met road. Vanellope took the lead but Taffyta was right on her heels. The raven-haired racer looked back, a grin on her face but it was quickly wiped away when she peered into Taffyta's eyes.

They were burning, filled with such anger and sadness.

"What's up with Taffyta?" the girl thought to herself, feeling a bit of a shiver run down her spine. She knew the strawberry racer was hot headed but she had never seen such a glint like that before. Taffyta pulled aside the vanilla racer but her focus was still aimed right ahead. It was if she didn't even know that Vanellope was right beside her.

"Hey, arcade ta Taffy-Butt!"

Shut up.

"Taffyta, I know you can hear!"

Stop it.

"Taffyta, say somethin'! I'm worried!"

Worried? Why are you worried?

I'm just a brat after all.

Taffyta SLAMMED her foot upon the gas, taking off faster than lightening.

PINK lightening of course.

Vanellope blinked as she watched the girl go ahead but she quickly followed! This was a race after all. Taffyta caught sight of the race behind her.

She knew what was coming up.

The GLITCH.

She didn't know what was worse; the fact that people rubbed it in her face that Vanellope had POWERS over the others or the fact they got mad at her when she found a way to go around it.

It was always something.

When the other racers learned a trick or two to master around it, they always got booed.

And of course, when it was TAFFYTA'S actions that did it, she got it the worse.

What did they expect the racers to do? Just LET Vanellope win every race?

Apparently so.

Apparently they WANTED the others to loose.

But Taffyta wasn't having that anymore. At least she could TRY.

A power-up glow ahead, it was calling her name but Vanellope was inching closer to her. She knew the sounds, the feeling, the lights of the glitch and per the norm it happened.

**_*GLITCH!*_**

Vanellope was getting closer but Taffyta had some tricks up her sleeve.

She just had to concentrate, she just had to focus.

But their voices.

_Taffyta Muttonflub!_

_Lookin' stupid in pink!_

_Cry baby, cry baby!_

_Puh, I bet she teamed up with Turbo since she KNEW she would NEVER be as awesome as Vanellope!_

_Lil cheater!_

She wanted them to stop, but then never did.

And the more she thought….

_"__I am NOT a cry baby!"_

The harder she drove.

She heard Vanellope glitching again but there was no mercy. She was tired of sitting by and letting things 'slide'. If people wanted a race, they were going to get one.

Vanellope glitched again, moving closer and closer to the power-up! The raven racer felt as if she could just reach out and touch it but then-!

**_*BREEEEEEEEEP!*_**

"WHOA!"

Rule one of Sugar Rush, anything goes.

Rule two?

Anything goes…including sudden improvising using one's horn.

Vanellope felt as if she had LAUNCHED herself out of her own seat as she heard Taffyta's horn blaring next to her.

Why hadn't she done this for YEARS?

The strawberry race barreled into the power-up!

GUMMIE BEAR-IT ALL!

Oh, a nice one!

Sparkles and flashes came from the small kart as a large cannon appeared atop it. Turning around, Taffyta aimed her cannon at the cars that were coming right up the bend and with one good aim.

**_*BOOM!*_**

Gummie bears EVERYWHERE!

And what was the major effect of that?

With the combination of the hot tires and the sticky candy, the other racers quickly found themselves, for the lack of better terms, unable to bare how slow they were going, the gooey mass of melted candy making their karts run slow.

"Yeee-UK!" said Vanellope, her nose twitching at the smell of burning sugar "Remind me again why our programmers thought it was funny to torture us like this!"

And like that, Taffyta was off in a flash not even looking back once to see if anyone was behind her. She just wanted to cross that finish line, to get things over with….

It was close, it was close….

**_*GLITCH!*_**

Vanellope?

Of course.

The racer knew she only had a few glitches left but with the combination of how many she had used with the addition of her still melty tires, the neck-n-neck race was looking a lot harder than she first thought. She tried to move faster but the sudden CLUNK of her engine spelt disaster.

"Whoops!" eeped Vanellope, realizing she had put too much stress on her cart "C'mon baby, don't let me down now!"

Must of have been a fruit leather belt inside, a perfect explanation to why the engine was no smoking!

"OOOOH! Looks like Von Schweetz has a lil trouble!" said the announcer, the audience on baited breath as they looked at the two racers "It's gonna be close folks, it's gonna be CLOSE!"

Close wasn't even good enough to describe it! Vanellope pushed harder and harder; she had to time her glitch JUST RIGHT or run the risk of wasting it but at the rate her cart was going.

"Now or later? NOW OR LATER?"

The choice was PAINFUL!

"URGH! NOW!"

**_*GLITCH!*_**

Vanellope was even CLOSER to Taffyta but once again the raven racer saw that Taffyta was transfixed not on her but on the finishing line ahead. Any other day, this would have been normal but with the way Taffyta had been acting?

It was…a little scary.

"Taffyta! TAFFYTA!" Vanellope shouted "Oh, I know this thing ain't makin' that much noise! TALK TA ME!"

Nothing.

Just silence and anger.

So close, so close!

"Oooh, shouldn't have used that up…." Vanellope cursed to herself, feeling that she was losing a bit of control of her cart. It felt unstable in her hands and she tried to ease up on the speed but by now it was too late. Something else gave way from underneath and with a large *KA-BOOM!* and a scream, Vanellope found that she was now unable to control her cart!

And with luck, who should she run into?

Taffyta of course!

The other racer screamed as she was struck, Vanellope hooking onto the side of her own vehicle.

"Whoa, whoa! Steady, STEADY!" Vanellope said, hoping in vain that maybe THIS could get a word from the other racer but none came.

Screams came but not words.

Get in control, Taffyta! GET IN CONTROL!

The girl hooked a hard left, the wheels BURNING and SQUEALING but it was perfectly timed. Pink Lightening was turned to the front, even if it were hooked onto Vanellope's cart. Vanellope on the other hand didn't like where things were going with this. Both girls were moving MUCH too fast for their own good and whoever crossed the finish line first would only wind up being SMASHED on the wall.

"Taffyta! Slow down!"

NEVER!

"GOBS! CAN YA HEAR ME!?"

I don't want to!

Vanellope gasped in horror, seeing the walls getting closer and closer! Yeah, Taffyta was going to 'win' alright but her prize would be a face full of metal, cement, and other not-nice things.

Vanellope knew what she had to do.

Taffyta was just blind with anger at this point, the deafening screech of her tires surrounding her but then-!

A yank?

"What tha-?!"

**_*GLITCH!*_**

Taffyta screamed as she felt herself being pulled upwards and not a second later, both girls ROLLED onto the ground, Taffyta crossing the finish line but…

**_*BOOOOOOM!*_**

Both girls' carts crashed into the stands and erupted into flames, several people running for their lives as the fire increased. Vanellope coughed as she sat up, shaking a bit and feeling sick to her stomach at what she saw.

She and other kids had been in quite a few crashes but nothing like that.

What would THAT have felt like?

"Taffyta?!" the girl gasped "Are ya ok-?"

"DON'T…say anything."

"Whoa, what was that for?"

A glare. A cold, ANGRY glare.

That was all Vanellope got from the pink racer, her cracked helmet showing forth furious eyes.

"Why did you DO that?!"

"D-Do what?!"

Taffyta stood on her feet, throat tight in anger "Why did you-?! I COULD HAVE-! I WAS ALMOST-!"

"Hey, hey! Simmer down!" said Vanellope, getting on her won feet "Taff, was winnin' really worth…."

The racers looked over, the smoldering wreckage of both their cars sending great billowing clouds of black smoke into the air.

"Was it really worth THAT?!"

"We could have regenerated…." The pink racer said in an annoyed grunt, removing her helmet "We always do so don't act like-!"

"Taffyta, I'm just worried about ya!" Vanellope cut in, lowering the racer's hands "I mean, GEEZE! Your FLYIN' even more than what's POSSIBLE here!"

"I'M AN EXCELLENT DRIVER!" Taffyta roared, throwing her helmet down. Vanellope jumped back, not sure what was going on.

"When did I imply that ya WEREN'T?!"

"Look, I had everything in control okay?!" the pink racer growled "I know we were caught but if ya had just given me time, if ya had just TRUSTED ME, I would have been able ta spin us out before we cr-!"

"Urgh, what did ya do?!"

That wasn't the voice of anyone from Sugar Rush.

Both girls looked over, seeing a few other characters marching over.

And they did NOT look happy.

"Um, ya guys okay?" said Vanellope "I know that blast was BIG so if any of ya need help, ya can go over ta tha clinic to-!"

"We're not hurt!" said one character, a cyclops girl, shouted and looking none too pleased "But we could have been no thanks to HER!"

Vanellope stepped forward, sensing that the crowd was getting ugly "Hey, ya know tha races here can get INTENSE but there is no reason ta blame people for this so just chill. I'LL personally see to any damage that was caused here so-!"

A loud laugh was heard from the crowd "Ya wanna help us? Get rid of MUTTONFLUB over there!"

Vanellope jolted back "'SCUSE ME?"

"Ha, if she weren't so jealous I bet none of this would have happened!"

"I bet she wouldn't have even made it across the finish line!"

"Just like always?"

"Just like always!"

And so it began.

Taffyta said nothing, looming back in the shadows of Vanellope as the crowd began to go about their daily routine on her.

She couldn't drive, she was boring.

She was just Taffyta.

And as everyone knew, Taffyta was the WORST racer in Sugar Rush.

No, in ANY racing game!

Forget racing games.

Taffyta Muttonfudge was the worst character, PERIOD.

"So, have fun winnin' first place?" jeered another patron "Wanna take your first place trophy? Its waiting right there for ya!"

"Oooh, I think she's gonna cry!"

"Then I guess we did our job!"

"HEY HEY HEY!" cried Vanellope, pushing a few people back "No a'that! We're not havin' that here! Its bad enough we still hafta deal with a crash but-!"

"Nelly, stop."

The raven racer turned around, Taffyta placing a heavy hand on her shoulder. If Vanellope thought the crowd scared her, the look on Taffyta's face pushed that out of the way. Maybe she had EXPECTED her to cry but crying would have been welcomed compared to the dark gaze she was getting.

"Um, Taff?"

"Don't waste your time coverin' for me…." The girl said, her tone surprisingly calm "I know this was my fault, kay? Is that what everyone wants ta hear?"

The crowd was silent but they still made it clear that Taffyta wasn't welcomed around them. Vanellope felt a bit pressed in the moment, confused to what was actually going on around her. She knew she had to contend with the crowd but Taffyta was telling her that things were alright, that she wasn't bothered.

Liar, liar. Racer on fire.

"W-wait, what do ya mean by th-?"

"I still won right?"

"T-technically, yeah…" Vanellope said, looking to the side "Your car DID cross first an' even after that, ya were tha one who ROLLED past the line so-!"

"I'll take my trophy…"

Taffyta strutted up to the stands, taking the first place trophy but instead of waiting for the others to take their own she walked off, leaving racers, fans, and spectators alike to wonder.

Just what had happened?

The girl walked. She walked for mile and miles away from the track. She didn't want to hear it, she didn't want to see it.

She didn't want anything to do with it.

But the trophy reminded clutched in her hands, a reminder that as much as she hated that place she had still gone there. She had still raced.

But it felt empty, hollow, worthless.

Like her?

Like her.

She stood at the edge of the Mint Cliffs, the wind blowing through her hair as she looked down at the strawberry soda sea. She could smell the fizzy pop hitting her nose but even with her favorite flavor around her, she didn't feel any better.

If anything, she felt worse.

Strawberries.

Like her.

And according to the arcade, anything that she liked, anything like her….

Was bad.

She looked at the trophy, the golden luster showing forth a girl as lifeless as the code that filled her. She hated that face, she hated those eyes.

She didn't know what else to think, the voices of others surrounding her.

One tear.

Just one.

Thank the programmers she had kept herself from crying when she was with the others. If she had, she would have never heard the end of it.

She clutched the trophy in her tiny hands, gloves squeaking against gold.

What was the point of such an article if she no longer desired the value of it as she had before in her life.

She drew an arm back….

And tossed the trophy into the sea.


	2. Chapter 2 - Character

Chapter Two – Character

The all clear had been given and characters were starting to file out of the games to hit the nightly run. It was always so wonderful to see so many people gathering in the station, ready to trade ears with stories of the day and to hit a movie or go to Tapper's.

But on this night, such activities were not in the mind of one racer.

In the past Taffyta would have loved to go out with the others, to hang out and have some fun but like so many things she had previously loved to do, they were all marred by the faces of others, the faces of so many who made it loud and clear they did not want her around. And even if they did, it was only so she could be the butt end of so many jokes. Jokes that she had no real power to go against, least she be labeled as something else terrible.

No, tonight Taffyta decided to stay in but she was so bored. She didn't want to bother anyone else, knowing they were off doing whatever but she couldn't just stay in her home. She looked out the window of her little cottage.

The candy castle.

Oh, such a wonderful sight but it had changed ownership a few weeks ago. No more did King Candy roam the halls but the rightful ruler of the game, Vanellope Von Schweetz.

Vanellope Von Schweetz.

Vanellope Von Schweetz.

Taffyta sighed heavily; it was a name she heard so much but why was that strange? After all, it wasn't as if Vanellope was some strange new addition to the game. She had been in the game all along but perhaps it was something else that was bothering her so much. Something else that made her want to shout out to the heavens above that….

No, that couldn't have been it!

Taffyta shook her head, trying to free herself of everything that was bothering her but for the code of her, it was next to impossible. The only thing she could hear were all the laughs and the jeers, everything aimed at her.

And the fact that they did it without remorse or punishment.

If anything, that's what bothered her the most.

"Is it really worth it?" she said to herself, twirling the ends of her hair in her fingers "Its not like they'd listen to anythin' I hafta say anyway. Just another character who's drowned out by many…"

Character?

An idea.

A thought.

She looked back over towards the castle again, noticing that the lights in Vanellope's room were not on.

She had to be out. After coming back to the game, Vanellope spent more time OUTSIDE than in which meant that the only people inside were the staff.

Staff who didn't care WHICH of the Candy Racers came in.

"I know it's there somewhere…." the racer thought to herself "But it might take me a while ta find it."

What exactly was on Taffyta's mind? Whatever it was, she didn't waste a beat, running out of her cottage and to the castle. After addressing herself, the guards let her in and after a few more dashes in through the halls, making a few hands twirl here and there with her speed, she had finally arrived.

The library.

The great, HUGE ENORMOUS library!

This was a place than she and the others had only seen from afar. King Candy had NEVER let them explore the place nor touch a single book. Something about how the books were blank, that they were just there for show.

But after the reset, the kids soon learned it was yet another lie told by the 'beloved' ruler.

Taffyta peered around but she jumped back once she saw three others there.

"Oh! Guys?"

"Hey!" smiled one Swizzle Malarkey, a huge stack of books next to him.

Figures, the big dork practically LIVED in the place once it had become open to him but what where Minty and Crumbellina doing with him?

_Wasn't Rancis the ladies' man?_

"So is this how ya spend your weekends?" Taffyta said with a smirk, her hands to her hips. Swizz tipped up his hat.

"Aw, c'mon! What's wrong with lookin' at a book or two?"

"Puh, nothin'…." huffed Minty, pinching Swizz's nose "But for tha love of everythin' sweet n' dandy, did ya REALLY hafta drag ME inta this? I wanted ta go ta tha movies tonight but it was all 'OH! Sorry Minty! I just GOTTA check this out AGAIN, as if I don't have any other time to!"

Taffyta looked over, her brow arching "Then why are YA here?"

"Someone's gotta watch 'im…." The green racer said, going back to her own book "I don't want this knuckle head to just set up house here…."

"An' ya, 'Lina?" said Taffyta "Ya decided to join them?"

Crumbellina, looking as proper and prim as usual, put down her tea and gazed upon Taffyta.

THOSE EYES.

"I had actually arrived before these two, not being on the roster and all…." The girl said, her voice sounding as silky as the caramel her candies had "It wouldn't have been very becoming of me to tell them they COULDN'T join me."

"Swizz, STOP IT!" growled Minty, tossing Swizz off his chain and into a pile of books. A bit of darkness came over Crumbellina's face.

Yeah, she didn't want them there.

"MOST unbecoming."

Taffyta felt a shiver go down her spine "Ehe, w-well, I don't want ta break up this banter ya got goin' here…I-I just came by for some….um, well HISTORY of this place!"

"History books are over there…" Swizz said as he popped out of the book pile.

"No, no. Not THAT history…." The girl said, walking closer to the boy. She then whispered in his ear "I need somethin' more….more informative."

"Er, what exactly do ya me-?"

"I mean….Tobikomi…."

Swizz stepped back, a little confused by what Taffyta had meant but by the look in her cold blue eyes, she was dead-set on getting her hands on something…TOBIKOMI.

"Taaaaaaff?"

"Look, I just need a…."

The girl took notice in the prying eyes of Minty and Crumbellina but Taffyta just waved, taking Swizz by the shoulder and pulling him into a corner.

"I need…our guide."

Swizz' eyes widened at the request "WH-!?"

"Not so loud!" Taffyta blurted, slamming her hand on Swizz' mouth rather roughly.

_"__Ow! You made me bite my lip!"_

"Swizz, ya know this place like the back of your hand! Ya can at least tell me there's some hidden Tobikomi….STUFF in here! A-and the guide SHOULD be here! All games have hidden info books in them!"

Swizz rubbed his sore lip, giving the girl a flustered look "Yeah, its true. We DO have one."

"Really?!"

"But what makes ya think I'm gonna tell ya know where they are?"

Taffyta blanched but she quickly became angry "SWIZZ. REALLY. What do ya expect ME ta do with 'em? CHEAT?!"

"N-No!" the boy stammered "Its just…"

"OH, I see…You're just like EVERYONE else in the arcade, ain't cha?"

"What do ya mean by that?"

"What I mean, SWIZZ is that ya don't trust me do ya? Ya think, just like EVERYONE else, that I'm sort of brat that's always up ta no good!"

"NO! That's-! That's not what I meant!"

Taffyta mood turned serious, looking Swizz right in the eyes "Then why, Swizzle? Why?"

The boy faltered, looking around as he pulled Taffyta deeper into the corner "Okay, ya wanna know tha truth? Can ya keep it?"

Taffyta glared at Swizzle "Ya ask ME ta keep a promise. Ho-kay, shall I go over tha vast LIST of promises YOU have broken over the years?"

"Taffyta…."

"One, that time ya promised Minty ya would NEVER tell ANYONE about her-!"

"Okay, OKAY! I Get it!" huffed the boy, putting a hand to his head "But I'm one-hundred percent super-duper, I don't wanna get my butt kicked SERIOUS about keepin' this zipped, Taff! Not even MINTY knows about this and if she found out I was keepin' thing from HER, she'd break me in half!"

"Ya sure she wouldn't break ya in half if I told her…"

"TAFFYTA!"

"Dear, Swizz. Continue…"

"Okay, I've been sneakin' in here for a few nights. Just ta catch up on things, nothin' bad…." Swizz said "An' we got LOADS of books about us! So many of 'em!"

"An'? Doesn't explain why ya don't wanna tell me 'bout 'em?"

Swizzle sighed heavily "I'm just worried….I'm just worried that if someone else finds 'em, we'll have a repeat of what happened when TURBO came in."

The strawberry racer blinked, looking interested in the boy's confession "Turbo? Ya think HE came in here to find-?"

"Look, Turbo broke in with the pass code an' that was it, right? Pah-SHAW. He need more than that ta get this place to his likin'!" Swizz laughed, rolling his eyes "Yeah, he was able ta carry this place for more than a decade but how do ya think HOW?"

Taffyta thought for a moment, her eyes lighting up "The books?"

"Bingo." nodded Swizz "He needed info on ALL of us an' after goin' through 'em, I can only guess it was after he managed to swipe a few of 'em that he knew EXACTLY what ta do. He had knowledge of the tracks, on the design of this place an'….."

Swizz stopped, his brows furrowing. Taffyta knew exactly what he was going to say.

"On us?"

"Yeah…." The boy nodded grimly "On us…."

"Swizz, I don't wanna take over ANYTHING." said Taffyta "I just wanna check on somethin'. Somethin' about ME."

"You? What could ya-?"

"Its personal, okay? I need a bio book or somethin'. Somethin' right from tha programmer's mouths about WHO we are. WHAT we are!"

"Wow, you're serious about this!"

"SWIZZLE!"

"Okay, okay!" the boy said, putting up his hands "Don't pop a code, okay?"

Swizzle walked from the corner and headed for one of the higher shelves in the vast room, climbing up the ladder as he fingered through a few books.

"Dat, dat, daaaaaaaa…..Here!"

Taffyta stood below, looking up "Is…is that it?"

The book came flying down, Taffyta catching it in her gloved hands. The cover was brightly illustrated, picture of ALL the racers on the cover.

Wow, she had never seen such a thing before in her life. She could only wonder what would have happened if King Candy…TURBO had caught her with it.

"This has EVERYTHING?"

"Yup!" Swizz smiled but before he could continue, Taffyta flew from the room, running as fast as she could.

"This is it! THIS IS IT!" she said to herself in glee, her heart beating rapidly against the hard cover. She blew past the guards, bowling over a few in the process as she made her way home. She slammed the door and shut all the curtains, checking EVERYWHERE to make sure no one had followed her home.

Wait, why was she doing this?

It was just a BOOK after all.

But it was an important book.

She looked down at the thing, almost shaking and scared to open it but she had come this far. She had to look in.

"O-okay…." She breathed "Calm down, calm down."

She opened the cover, looking through the index to see the list of EVERYONE in the game.

She came after Vanellope….

She looked at BOTH their names, her stomach twisting in knots.

Maybe later. Maybe later…..

Who was the third racer?

Ah, Candlehead.

"Ah-ahaha!" Taffyta laughed nervously "Th-this ought to be a good read!"

_Candlehead!_

_Height: 3'-_

"I don't wanna know how tall she is!" the girl blustered, moving on.

_This bright racer seems to have her head in the clouds!_

"Pfft, of course." the racer snickered "That sounds like C-Butt alright!"

_Candlehead was inspired to race thanks to her parents!_

"Hmmm?" Taffyta read on "Interestin'…..we actually had…PARENTS?"

Parents? There wasn't a single ADULT in Sugar Rush but at the thought of parents, Taffyta began to wonder.

What would they look like?

What would CANDLEHEAD'S parents look like? Would they have candles atop their heads as well?

Much to her surprise, Taffyta found she was becoming GLUED to the wealth of information that was provided by her. It was all there at her fingertips; the character's stats, their likes and their dislikes but what Taffyta found most interesting was just how much focus was given into the characters THEMSELVES.

Swizzle was right. With this in his hands, Turbo DID have control over everyone.

And maybe that was how he KNEW to play into their fears because he had EVERY source of them.

But what Turbo once found and used as a means to give power to himself, Taffyta was purely entertained, the bright pictures and words pulling her in more and more. She kept reading, tickled by how much Candlehead WAS like her written bio but at the same time, she had so many other qualities, qualities that were NOT in the book.

She had known Candlehead for years. She was goof yes but so kind and considerate. She could eat you out of house and home but she was always there to fed those who DIDN'T have any food, spending hours and hours by herself to ensure so many tiny candy people were taken care of.

Taffyta felt funny as she kept reading. She felt…good.

Good because once she thought back, she realized that despite what everyone said about Candlehead, she knew better than that.

She knew Candlehead was a good person.

She knew ALL the racer were good kids.

It was like everyone said; you're not EXACTLY like your code.

But if only the other people in the arcade would take the time to see that, rather than just slapping them with the unfortunate title of 'Vanellope's wasted back-up band'.

"Or whatever they called us…." The strawberry racer sighed, her legs kicking in the air as she read on.

She kept looking but suddenly a little box near the end of the entry caught her eye.

"Wait, what's this?"

TobiKomi notes?

"Hmmm…"

_For hardcare fans of TobiKomi games, Candlehead (and a few other of the racers) should look familiar!_

"Oh? What's this all about?" the strawberry racer said, reading on.

_A little game by the name of Guardian Seed should come to mind when looking at her! I guess Snapdragon and Mugwort let their little baby race!_

Snapdragon? Mugwort?

Those were FLOWERS, not candy.

"Stange…." The racer said, moving on "I wonder if anyone else has a note like that…."

Taffyta looked on but to her dismay, she found that some of the words had been black out.

"What the-?"

Vanellope couldn't have done this. Why would she put so much damage in her own books?

Oh course, who ELSE could have done such a thing?

"I guess Turbo put precautions EVERYWHERE…" the pink racer huffed "Even if all it took was a black marker."

The girl thumbed through the book, finding in a few pages Turbo had left his mark, and his doodles, EVERYWHERE. On Snowanna's entry something was marked out about a 'special instrument' could come in handy. For Sakura, something about taking talents after her parents was marked off.

Again with the parents.

It seemed with EVERY entry something was marked off.

But could that mean that things were marked off for HER entry as well, and perhaps Vanellope's.

Taffyta dreaded looking at her own page and couldn't even convince herself to go to Vanellope's. She was just too nervous. She slammed the book, looking at the illustrated cover. She and Vanellope seemed to take center stage above the others, each one drawn as if they were supposed to symbolize something, but WHAT exactly?

She knew everyone in the arcade considered them rivals, or worse, but there was just something about how they were drawn together that made the girl wonder.

There was more to this, there was always something more.

And even better, maybe there was more to her.

Her fingers shook as she reached down for the book but again she was too nervous to look at her own entry or that of the ruling monarch.

Maybe if she just waited.

"Y-Yeah…" she squeaked "I-I have so many others to look at! It can wait!"

_Candlehead! This bright racer seems to have her head in the clouds but that doesn't stop her from lighting up the track! That light of hers is always leading her to victory but once the race is over, she can't help herself to have a little party or two. The more food, the better for this little racer with the big appetite! She can be a little ditzy at times and it's not uncommon for her to be the butt of many of her friends' jokes but don't be fooled by those big eyes and goofy smile. Candlehead is a rocket on the track and you'll be surprised when it is SHE who has the last laugh! She just BLOOMS with excitement and fun!_


	3. Chapter 3- Friends

Chapter Three – Friends

_Need a fix, Swizz is your man! The brainbox of the tracks, Swizz has the smarts and the moves to make it past any obstacle he faces. Always tinkering, always inventing, when you need something new and cool for your kart, Swizzle Malarkey is the man to see. But don't be fooled; Swizz not only has BRAINS, he also has CLASS! No wonder there's always a show when this kid-genius wins because when Swizz takes to the tracks, he takes them with STYLE!_

"What do ya call a pink thing that nearly chewed me up an' spit me out?" moaned Vanellope, taking a long but weak sip of her rootbeer.

"Um, a three-eyed bubblegum monster?" said Ralph, clearly confused.

"No…TAFFYTA." Grumbled Vanellope "An' before ya say ANYTHIN' big guy, NO. She didn't relapse back to King Candy's mindset. She…."

Ralph looked down at his friend "Yeah?"

Vanellope looked at the reflection staring back at her in the glass; it warped and swirled making her feel a bit sick to her stomach. There was no other way of hiding that it had been a BAD day for everyone in Sugar Rush but for the life of her she just could not get her brain tinkering to figure out how to solve it.

"Ralph, I need advice…" the girl moaned, slamming her head on the counter "I wanna have FUN again."

"But haven't ya been havin' fun since ya got back on the roster?" Ralph asked, placing a comforting hand gently on the girl's back.

"It's not tha racin' big guy. It's…it's somethin' Somethin' I can't put my finger on despite all tha clues FLASHIN' right in my face." The girl grumped "Ever since Turbo kicked the bucket, people have been flockin' to our game to see us. Ta see me….but it hasn't been the fun ride I thought it would be."

"An' why would ya say that?"

"Because I haven't been WITH everyone else!" Vanellope finally blurted out, the confession exploding from her "Look, all the attention an' glory? It's been cool so far but at the end of tha day I realized somethin'. I'm NOT with the other racer an' I know I should be! They're my family Ralph!"

The wrecker smiled at Vanellope, a little heart-warmed to see the girl taking to the other racers despite their actions under the rule of Turbo. He always assumed that after the truth had been revealed that Vanellope would have other things to think about, other people she would want to spend time with but as time went on, BOTH characters realized that even with the differences they had had with their fellow game-mates, if they continued to separate themselves from them it would be as if nothing had truly been solved.

Ralph learned that as he got to know the Nicelanders better and it appeared the same was true for Vanellope but unlike him, Ralph had learned that the other racer had NOT started on such a hateful path with their princess.

In fact, as Vanellope had told him the story once her memories were returned….

They were close.

For many, VERY close.

The more Ralph learned about the other racers, the more upset he became when he realized just how far Turbo's influence had gotten to them. How his twisting and pulling had robbed them of their memories of themselves, who they were and how they interacted with each other.

It took a while but Ralph didn't see the same kids he had seen when he first crashed into Sugar Rush. They didn't act the same, think the same, talk the same, just to appease some monarch who had usurped their home.

They were….kids.

They were just kids like any other.

And the more he hung out with them, the more he began to enjoy their company.

But there was one racer, one person who seemed to always catch his curiosity.

Taffyta. Taffyta Muttonfudge.

He had heard what people had said about her, he had heard EVERYTHING but any time he even ATTEMPTED to approach her, she seemed to back away.

Vanellope had regaled him with tales of the past, when she would say such off-color remarks to those who insulted her, insulted the way she talked of her friends.

But Ralph didn't see that, at least not in the way that Vanellope had told him.

To him, Taffyta seemed so held back, so withdrawn, as if she didn't want to interact with ANYONE. For a while, Ralph feared it was because she was scared of her, or even scared of Vanellope. After all, he remembered the way she had reacted when Vanellope had given her 'order' but after that joke, it was if the girl hadn't recovered.

Was something else going on?

Apparently so because even now Vanellope looked as down and worn as the aforementioned strawberry racer.

"Ya really wanna get back with 'em, don't ya?" Ralph smiled "Good for ya kiddo…"

"Good? HOW?" Vanellope puffed "I keep my brain a'tickin' away but I can't think of anything! It's not like I have Swizz' brain! He can think of anything ta-!"

Ralph tapped his chin, an idea coming to him.

"Kid, stop….Believe it or not, I think you're doin' this thinkin' thing a lil TOO hard!"

"How can one think TOO hard?" Vanellope pouted.

"Considering that you're holdin' your rootbeer glass UPSIDE DOWN, I think that's a good example."

Vanellope gasped as she glitched, dropping the glass to the ground "Aw, cowtails!"

"See, told ya." Ralph sighed, shaking his head "Ya got a good ambition goin' on but I think you're goin' about it the wrong way."

"Then what do ya suggest I do, huh Stink-Breath?"

"Well, first off. What does EVER racer in your home love?"

Vanellope rolled her eyes "Racin'. Duh…"

"Ah-huuuh…." Ralph nodded, a warm smile on his face "An' what else?"

Vanellope thought for a moment, tapping her lip.

"Well, before Turbo came along….we liked to have parties…"

The smile on Ralph's face grew larger. He knew that Vanellope was on a path to an idea.

"Keep goin'…."

"Sugar Rush is HUGE, Ralphie-Boo! HUGE! So big that there are still places we haven't found yet but during the short time before King Candy reared his butt-bald head up, we just like to….we just liked to come together with all our stuff and party."

Ralph continued to play Vanellope along, acting as if he had no idea what she was talking about.

"Oh! Gracious! It sounds so DAINTY!"

"Hey, dainty ain't bad!" Vanellope said "'Belina? Aw man, she used ta bring all these special treats an' other things from her mansion up in the Caramel Hills. An' Sakura! She would make the stage up an' everythin'! Ya know she's an ACTRESS ya know!"

Vanellope then spun around on her feet, trying her best to match Sakura's grace and poise but she stumbled, Ralph catching her.

"Heh, ya know what I mean!"

The big man smiled, humored by the show "Yes, I guess I do."

"Snowanna would sing…she can play the guitar so well. Jubi and Cissy would always throw something together just to-!"

Vanellope's eyes widened.

"An'-! An' C-butt would-!"

Ralph only smiled. He knew the girl had gotten it now.

"A PARTY!" Vanellope cried out, the entire bar hearing it "WE NEED TO HAVE A PARTY!"

"Bout time ya figured it out!" Ralph laughed "I don't think I could have dropped any more hints!"

"What? I came up with this idea myself!" Vanellope said tartly, patting her chest "One can not say that President Von Schweetz is without ideas!"

"Okay, okay. So a party, sounds like a good idea!"

"Yes, we need something like this!" Vanellope grinned, her excitement already through the roof "But it's not just for the other racers!"

"Eh?"

"No, Ralph! We need a party….for everyone!" the girl shouted, glitching a few times "We need the arcade to see how we really are! I mean think about it! We only had a short time when we were first plugged in an' back then, no one cared! No one paid attention to us! The only thing everyone seems to know is what King Candy did to our game an' how everyone acted while they were under HIS control!"

Vanellope stood tall, her hands on her hips and her head up.

"No sirree! If everyone says we can start over again, then that goes for EVERYONE! I'm not gonna stay someplace where people are gonna tell me things 'bout our home that I know aren't true!"

"Wow, you're really serious about this, 'ey kiddo?"

"Well, how would YA feel if someone kept attacking Niceland?" Vanellope asked, a serious look on her face "I….I kinda got a front row seat of what happened 'cus of that. Seein' it up close made me realize that sometimes ya gotta work a lil bit more ta make sure your home is safe for everyone."

Safe.

Vanellope hadn't used the word FUN but rather SAFE and the way she had said it struck a chord with Ralph.

She really wanted EVERYONE in the game to be SAFE. The clutches of Turbo were still felt by everyone who resided in the game and their home still didn't feel like their own.

But hopefully, Vanellope could change all of that.

"Thanks, Ralph…." The girl said brightly "Guess my brain needed a lil kickstart!"

"Glad ta help!" the wrecker nodded "So, when should we get ready for this grand entrance of yours?"

"OURS." Vanellope corrected "Everyone here has gotten ta know me but right now, we have a slew of racers to get ready for a grand entrance!"

"An' where do we begin with that?"

A little smirk appeared on Vanellope's face "Oh, I know EXACTLY where to start!"

* * *

"I-I can't believe this…." Taffyta said as she continued to read through the book, her eyes wide and her mind blazing.

It had been HOURS since she had picked up the book and began to read again, her imagination going off to unknown words as she read more and more about her own home.

"No wonder King Ca-!"

She stopped.

No, there was no more King Candy.

He wasn't real. He wasn't a ruler.

HE never was and he would never be.

"Just keep readin'…" the girl said to herself, moving away from Swizzle's bio. He too had many things that were mentioned in the book but like the others, the path wasn't that purely followed. Seeing that made Taffyta feel a bit better but she was still too nervous to look at her own bio or that of Vanellope's.

She didn't know WHY. She couldn't put her finger on it but for whatever reason she just couldn't look.

What if it were as bad as everyone said?

She could turn to Vanellope's bio and it would spill nothing but praise and perfection and then to her own?

What if she were the worst racer of the lot? What if she were the least talented, the least skilled.

She was programmed to be the worst, the villain, the bully.

And that was all she would ever be.

"No, NO!" she snapped "You have to stop thinking like this! J-Just look at the book! There's so much more here!"

She turned the page, going to Minty's bio and once more she saw that the entire thing had been blacked out with markers and pen.

"Urgh, I thought the rest would fix this…." The girl growled "Whatever Turbo used, it still has the code on this thing messed up!"

Wait.

Code?

A jolt ran down Taffyta's spine.

If she could just get to the code room, maybe she could find the properties of the book, fix them and then-!

"Oh, that's silly! 'Sides, Felix is tha only one who can fix-!"

FELIX!

Of course!

Felix could FIX the book and then she could read it!

But….

But would the man even want to see her?

After all, he was one of Vanellope's closest friends and if the past few months had taught the girl anything….

She sighed again. Maybe it would be best to wait.

"I-I think I can make do with this…." She moaned "Now what does Minty have?"

_Quite possibly the strongest racer ever born, Minty Zaki is a forced to be reckoned with! Small but mighty, Minty will barrel down the track but with her great strength comes great grace behind the wheel. Minty joined the circuit looking for another way to flex her muscle and show off her power but who knew she would have just as much fun speeding down the tracks as breaking jaw-breakers in half!_


	4. Chapter 4- Invites

Chapter Four – Invites

_*Ding-Dong!*_

"It's kinda early, isn't it?" Ralph asked, looking at the rainbow colored cottage.

"Trust me. Snowy is always up this early!" Vanellope smiled, moving an ear closer towards the door "Shhh! I think I can hear her now!"

Ralph placed a large hand to his ear and as he focused he could indeed hear the soft gentle melody of someone inside.

_When will you answer my prays?_

_Come down from the sky?_

_I looked up towards the stars, your wings moving by._

_The warm night air, brought back many dreams._

_Your hand holding mine-!_

"EY SNOWY!" Vanellope called out "Less ya left your radio on, stop ignorin' us!"

"_Oh!"_

The two could ear footsteps rushing towards the door and not a second later, Snowanna appeared before the two, looking a might caught as she adjusted her glasses, blush on her cheek.

"Heh, gotcha…." smirked Vanellope.

"Ah-ha…yeah…." Snowanna meeped, trying to brush off her embarrassment "S-so what brings you here this early?"

"Weeeell, we just wanted ta stop by." The vanilla racer grinned "Ask ya a question."

"Eh…what about?"

Vanellope lead Ralph into the tiny cottage, the big man taken away by what he saw. He was still getting to know the racers bit by bit and to see what they had in their own homes, what they cherished and loved, reminded him that there was still so much more he needed, and wanted, to learn about them. He saw the vast collection of records Snowanna had on the wall, so many music books around.

And her guitar.

That candy guitar.

The girl had shown off some of her talents at Felix's wedding and it stunned the man that a girl of such a young age could play so well.

But after that, she seemed to stop playing, at least around those who were not of the Sugar Rush game.

"Sorry if the place is a bit messy." Snowanna said, not acting her usually bright self "I'm just…tiding up."

Perhaps she was still a little embarrassed about being caught in the middle of a song.

"Pfft, like we all don't get a lil messy now an' then, Snowy! But let's forget about that! I have somethin' I want ya ta do for me!"

Vanellope could see the look in Snowanna's eyes, even behind her colored frames "Yeah? What is it?"

Ralph looked on the side of the wall, seeing more photos. Snowanna holding her cherished guitar, playing alongside Crumbelina, handing out with Adorabeezle.

And then he saw another guitar on the wall.

"_Hmm?"_ the man looked, his curiosity getting the better of him _"Where did she get THIS?"_

He looked closer noticing a little inscription deep within it.

It said TobiKomi….

But then a fish symbol?

"_Huh?"_

TobiKomi lore; he was aware of it and whenever another TobiKomi game came into Litwak's., the wrecker was always ready to find some Easter eggs hidden in the games, showing the connecting between them all.

But there was something...something familiar about Snowanna's instruments, about the girl in general.

There were just so many familiar things around her cottage.

He had seen characters like them before in a few old TobiKomi games down the years, some that had unfortunately been unplugged a while back. They might not have been main players but like so many hidden TobiKomi gems, they kept popping up in the background, along with so many other tiny little things.

"_What were their names again?_" Ralph found himself thinking out loud "_Ray? Ray? Snowbelle? Some other happy sounding flower name…_"

"You want me to do WHAT?!"

Ralph jolted up and cracked his head atop the ceiling, He winced in pain, blushing a might from is 'slip'.

"_Oooow…"_

The man turned, Snowanna looking so shocked that her glasses had shoot off her face in excitement. Vanellope on the other hand was smiling away.

"Yeah, ya gonna lead the music Snowy."

"B-But I haven't played since Mr. Felix's wedding…." The girl said, feeling breathless "I-I think it's been too long!"

"Then it's a good time ta start up again." Vanellope said, a sincere look on her face "Besides, what good is it to hide them talents of yours anyway?"

The snow-cone racer shook her head "I'm not too sure about this Nelly. I mean, if it was just for you? The gang, then maybe….but for the entire arcade? Ya know a lotta people didn't want me to play for the weddin' but-!"

"BUT…." Vanellope cut in "But you'll do as good a job on that thing as ever! I mean really, Snowy! You're tha only one that can play that thing! I can't keep a beat if my life depended on it!"

Snowanna was having a bit of doubt as she thought about the chance to play for a large group. As she had said, it had been a while since she had partaken in such activities but as she looked at Vanellope she felt some comfort, a feeling that she had missed for such a long time.

A feeling of happiness, a feeling that she was actually enjoying herself.

Maybe this was it. This was her chance.

"O-okay!" the girl said, her hair starting to glow a bit the happier she became "I'll do it!"

"Ya will?"

"Of course!" Snowanna said, standing proud "I'm not gonna miss a chance like this!"

"Oh, Snowanna! THANK YA!" Vanellope cheered, hugging the girl close "Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! Ya won't regret this!"

Snowanna was a little shocked as Vanellope held her close. It was just so odd, to have the person you tortured for so long thank you, hold you, embrace you.

It felt like old times, the old times Snowanna and the rest of the racers wanted to relive. And from the looks of things, Vanellope was planning just that.

Ralph smiled at the two, glad to see that Vanellope's words about the racers were true but he was still in the midst of thought himself. He glanced over at the guitars again, their shape familiar from SOMEWHERE.

"Say, Miss Snowanna?"

Snowanna looked over "Yes, Mr. Ralph?"

"Um don't mean ta be nosy kid but….um, your folks? Wh-what were their names?"

Snowanna looked at Ralph, a strange look on her face.

"Kid?"

"I….I dunno…." Snowanna said sadly "I-I mean….aside from things, there isn't anythin' sayin' we actually have parents. I mean…as much as _**I**_ can remember anyway."

Vanellope looked over, hearing the break in Snowanna's voice.

"L-Look, sorry kid. I didn't mean ta go about like that."

"It's okay." The snowcone racer smiled "Maybe it would have been nice…"

Ralph couldn't help but shake off the feeling he got when he looked at the guitar, certain he had seen it or heard about it being mentioned in a few other old, long unplugged, Tobikomi game in the past.

He wanted to know, but he knew it would be best NOT to press the girl, especially when Vanellope was trying so hard to the BRIGHTEN the mood, not bring it down even further than it already was.

"Eh, just memories, that's all."

Throughout the day, Ralph and Vanellope made their rounds through Sugar Rush, meeting with each and every race not only to invite them to a party but to tell them just how much they were going to be a part of it. For many, the chances to show off their talents, to do the things they loved, was a welcome opportunity.

Sakura touted she was going to dress in her very best, lighten up the show!

Jubileena was turning cartwheels and doing splits when she was told of the celebration!

Candlehead actually ROCKETED through the roof when she learned that she could cater the event, a slew of guest arriving to taste her delightful creations.

But for some, there was still a large hint of nervousness in the air.

Many of the racers still felt wary of showing up in front of some of the eyes of the arcade as some of those eyes still saw them as disloyal to Vanellope and minions to King Candy.

Unlike Vanellope, the kids' ears were wide open to what the arcade was saying about them and it was chipping away at their candy shells worse than anything they could imagine.

The kids were planning on overthrowing her this, or they were the reason Turbo was even able to get in charge that.

Rumors traveled fast in Litwak's and despite how much people liked to tout how open and forgiving the places was, juicy gossip was always juicy gossip and there were always plenty of people around to feed it and make it bigger.

The truth of the matter was that all the racers, Vanellope included, were still in the dark to what had happened that faithful day when things were erased, when things were 'changed'. It was just another day of waking up but rather than waking up to what they had known, about themselves and about their homes, something else had been implanted.

SOMEONE else had been implanted.

Vanellope only remembered a few things herself prior to the days of Turbo but from what she could remember, she remembered that she and the other racers were just their goofy selves.

No hate, no bitterness. Just a bunch of silly kids who did whatever it was silly kids did but it seemed that even after his defeat, Turbo was still tainting every facet of the racers' lives, going so much as turning the entire arcade against them despite the fact they weren't the ones who turned her into a glitch, they weren't the ones who let him in.

They weren't the ones who allowed him to erase their memories of everything before.

But it seemed that no matter what they did, how much they wished, the arcade wouldn't listen.

After all, they were just bullies.

Especially….

"Taffyta!" Vanellope said, her feet hurting her after walking all day "Just one more racer and we're done big guy!"

"Don't ya find it a lil weird that even with all the time we took off we didn't see her anywhere around?" asked Ralph "I thought ya said she liked hangin' around the main village."

"She DOES….or…did, I guess. Mah, she's probably home, makin' sure Pink Lightenin' is up an' runnin'!" Vanellope smiled, marching on. The two then finally arrived to Taffyta's cottage, Ralph surprised that compared to the other racer's hers was so….modest?

He had expected Taffyta to live in a huge house, something to match the energy she was said to give off.

But there it was. Some shortcake-shaped cottage at the edge of a giant strawberry patch, pink, pink and more pink around.

If anything, the pink was a sure sign that it was Taffyta's property.

"Yo, Taff!"

No reply.

Vanellope peered into the window and to her shock, the entire house was dark.

"She's not here?" the girl asked herself, scratching her head "Tha car's out in tha back but there's not a trace of Muttonfudge to be seen!"

"Maybe we missed her?" shrugged Ralph but as he looked, Vanellope glitched to the side. She was determined to find Taffyta, no matter how long it took.

"Taffyta, come out, come out! We're lookin' for ya!"

The only thing that came to Vanellope's ears was the sound of the breeze blowing through the blossoms of the trees above but Taffyta was gone, missing without a trace.

Maybe they had missed her but Vanellope didn't feel right. There was a nervous feeling coming in her stomach as Taffyta remained gone from view.

_A feeling that she had been…?_

"H-Hold on, ralph." Vanellope said, her voice shaking as she moved further down the path behind the cottage. Only she and the other racers knew where this place led for not too far from Taffyta's house there was a great cliff, one that showed a grand view past the mountains of Sugar Rush.

Even from her view in the castle, Vanellope didn't have such a spot to look out on and she often found herself growing envious that Taffyta had been placed in such a location.

"_Please be there, please be there…."_

Vanellope let out a relived breath as a familiar figure in pink came across her eye, Taffyta sitting on a large gum drop and looking out at the setting sun.

"Taffyta?"

The wind blew through Taffyta's hair, the girl slowly turning towards the vanilla racer.

"Hey."

"Hey?" Vanellope snorted "Is that all you're gonna say?"

"That's all I HAVE to say…." Taffyta said, thought she tried her best to sound happy in the moment "Just relaxing out here, that's all."

"I'll accept that." Vanellope said, taking a seat on the ground next to the pink racer. There was a still silence between the two as the sun continued to set, neither girls willing to make the first comment.

Vanellope knew the ice had to be broken though.

"Ahem…."

No response.

"Ummm, we got somethin' goin' on…." Vanellope pied in, putting her hands behind her head "Somethin' ya might like."

"Really?" Taffyta asked, her eyes still focused on the approaching twilight.

The vanilla racer frowned, peeved that Taffyta was acting in such a manner. She glitched to her feet, the strawberry girl twitching as the sound hit her ears.

"Aw come OOOOOON, Taffyta! What is up with this act?!"

"What act?"

"THIS!" Vanellope gestured wildly "THIS act, that's what! I mean, my gobs! I haven't seen ya this down since….well, since EVER!"

Taffyta faked a grin, waving a hand "I'm just thinking okay?"

"'Bout what?"

"PERSONAL things…" the other girl growled, trying her best not to sound angry but Vanellope could feel the discontent leeching from Taffyta's code. She didn't know what to do; even with her glitch or her status what COULD she do? It wasn't as if she could force Taffyta to suddenly be happy.

But there was something she could do.

"Taffyta, is this about the race?"

"No…no it's not…."

OF course it was.

"Look, I'm gonna do somethin' 'bout people getting rowdy like that. It's not good for any of us."

"Ya don't have to waste your time on such things, Nelly." Taffyta said "It's somethin' we're all gonna hafta to get used to. I mean, it's all a part of the competition right?"

"No, not when people are yellin' at ya for no reason." Vanellope said, her hands going on her hips "Ya can't tell me for a second that ya would take that bunk!"

Taffyta glanced over, her eyes narrowed in annoyance "Is it like I have a CHOICE?"

What was that about?

"Wh-whoa, wait." Vanellope said but Taffyta stood, moving away from the girl "Hold on Taffy, WAIT!"

"Don't ya have some other place ta be?" Taffyta asked, her voice sounding rather harsh in tone "I'm sure your fans miss ya or somethin'…."

"Well, I don't mean to brag!" Vanellope played but seeing Taffyta walk away made her rethink her little comment "Aw, darn it Taff!"

Taffyta rushed up the path only to stop once she saw Ralph waiting near her house.

Great, Vanellope had brought Ralph to torture her as well? As if things couldn't get any worse.

"Taffyta!"

The girl in pink sighed, rubbing her aching temples "Okay, ya got me trapped. What is it?"

"Taffyta…"

The strawberry racer felt Vanellope's hand clasp onto her own, her eyes opening wide. She looked at the other girl and the look she was given?

Taffyta knew the many sides of Vanellope or at least she thought she knew. Vanellope was always joking around, always making snide remakes and such much to her chagrin.

But this time, there was so much worry, so much concern in her eyes.

Taffyta knew she couldn't turn away, no matter how much she ran it through her head that she wanted to.

"A-Are ya free this Saturday night?"

"Why do you ask?" Taffyta asked poshly, running her fingers through her hair, only to catch a snag and struggle with it for a second.

Ralph, pretending to be oblivious to the conversation, watched the action unfold from the corner of his eye. He knew a bluff when he saw one and Taffyta was putting up a mighty big one, though at the same time the girl was fighting something else.

Herself maybe?

"There's gonna be a party…." Vanellope said "An' I want your big pink butt to show up."

Taffyta stuck out her tongue "Who has a big butt?"

"Will ya just show up?" Vanellope smirked, pulling Taffyta towards her "Everyone else is gonna be there. 'Be a shame if someone were ta end up missin'….."

Taffyta breathed out, a sour look coming upon her face. She didn't want to go at all honestly, despite loving to celebrate as much as the next Sugar Rush racer.

"Think about it?" Vanellope asked, smiling a bit more sincerely this time.

Maybe. Just maybe….

"Y-Yeah, I'll think about it…."

Vanellope nodded, dropping Taffyta's hand and going back with Ralph "O-Okay…see ya then?"

"Maybe." Taffyta replied, returning to her cottage "MAYBE."

A forced grin etched its way on Vanellope's face as she lead Ralph away, her eyes still on the girl as she went inside the tiny house.

"Nelly?" Ralph finally said "Ya sure this is a good idea? I mean, I know ya said that Taffyta was in a FUNK but GEEZE! Tha heck happened back there?"

"C'mon, we don't need ta talk about it…." Vanellope said, wanting to drive the conversation as far away from the incident at the race track as she could "I'll be by to pick her up ANYWAY. There's no way I'm gonna let her miss this."

Taffyta remained by the window as she watched the two leave.

What a close call. She was so tongue-tied at their presence she just didn't know what to say but why would such a feeling come over her? She usually found herself ready to step forward and be the center of attention whenever she got the chance but this time?

Why was she still so scared? Why was she holding herself back?

She felt as anxious and nervous as Adorabeezle but with her, everyone knew that Adorabeezle was shy, everyone knew how hard it took her to get comfortable around people.

This wasn't like Taffyta, not at all.

And yet she continued to act this way. It was if she had no other choice.

"Stupid…." The girl cursed to herself, slouching on the couch.

She looked over at the table, noticing the book stull there. She was surprised that no one had blabbed to Vanellope that it was in her possession, counting her blessings that was something she hadn't gotten into trouble for. She could hear the thing calling out to her, the book wanting to be read.

"W-well, let's see who's next…." Taffyta said as she flipped the pages.

_Adorabeezle might the shiest racer but she is someone who won't shy away from a race. Coming from the coldest parts of the Sugar Rush, the only thing Adorabeezle wanted was friends but she had no idea she would find so many on the track. It takes a bit to break this tiny racer from her shy ice shell but don't underestimate her! Her driving might be cool but her heart is warm!_

Taffyta smiled as she continued to read. If only the people outside her home thought of the racers in the same light. Of course, thus far she had read the bios of only her friends. She still had to look at her own, and Vanellope's as well.

"Ah well….I'll get to it when I do….." she breathed out, flipping the page to find, surprise, more black marks made by Turbo "Maybe I'll be in for a surprise. Maybe I'll like who I am….."

Taffyta absentmindedly turned the back of the book, playfully flipping through the pages but what she saw on the back of the cover caught her attention.

"Hmmm?"

There was a little stain on the back cover the book, something that looked old and worn. She touched it, her fingers feeling that something had been lifted from it. She peered at it closer, realizing that what was once there looked to be an enveloped, pasted and torn off some time ago.

"Hmmm, odd…." Taffyta said as she scratched her head. She continued to look down at the missing spot, her fingers running down the surface, feeling a bit of a dent embedded on it. Her heart began to race, her mind realizing that once more the book had been vandalized.

Something had been there, but what it was she did not know.

Her eyes darted to and fro; were the others aware of this?

Of course they weren't! No one had said a thing about there being so many markings in the book but if this were there…

"Did Turbo do this as well?"

She looked at the little dent again, wondering just what in the arcade could have once been there. There had to be a way to see!

"But how can I-?"

The girl snapped her fingers, remembering a trick that Swizz had taught her a while back. The big nerd always knew just what to say and for Taffyta's sake she was glad she remembered. She rushed over to her desk and got out a box of colored pencils and a sheet of paper. The pink one, of course, was her choice of color for this round.

"Now, just press lightly…."

She rubbed the tip of the pencil onto of the paper, making sure it covered the dent well. She could feel the shape coming through as she rubbed the etched mark and once she was done….

"A…a KEY?"

A KEY.

A key had been there but what for?

Now this was a twist. First the mark-outs and now a missing key. Pacing around, Taffyta was the one who felt like the detective now, a little smile forming on her face.

She took a dive towards the book, flipping through it again, trying to see if she could find something that struck her as off.

She got to her section.

She paused.

No, not yet.

"C'mon, there's somethin' I'm not looking at. Somethin' I'm missing!"

She went back to the front of the book, her eyes catching something.

**UNLOCKABLES**

Taffyta felt her eyes widen. She felt a little breathless, a little restless, a little excited. To even hear those words made her heart skip a beat because it was something that she and the other racers had always wondered about.

Unlockables. All games had to have something, even a game as old as Sugar Rush and it made sense. After all, Vanellope had her default dress and the clothing she had CHOSEN to wear.

There was always more, always so much more to a game.

King Candy was always adamant. Always so adamant that his little racers followed his rules for their 'safety' and that meant that they always had to do thing HIS way. There was never a stray thought and all was obeyed because in the end, he did 'protect' them.

But from what? What did he 'protect' them from?

If there were unlockables and the racers got their hands on them, what did that mean? If they unlocked something, would the game reset? Could they have reset the game on their own and not even know it all because of getting things that already belonged to them?

There was so much about the game Taffyta didn't know. So much about her own home that she still had yet to learn about. They had only been plugged in for so long, only so much time had passed before things were taken over. The racers never had a chance to explore their home the way it was really meant to be, they never had that chance to be free. And even with Turbo out of the picture, they still hadn't taken that chance. The only thing that had happened was that Vanellope was given the regal treatment by the arcade and the fans the racers once thought they had had all but changed sides.

They still hadn't explored what THEY could do, what they were capable of without someone else lording over their memories, telling them not to stray too far.

This was it. Taffyta suddenly realized that in her hands was one of the biggest things to hit Sugar Rush since the reset. In her hand was a book, a book that could open up so many things for the other racers but while she might have had one clue, there were so many things that were still missing.

Marked out text and a key. The reset might have put Vanellope back in her place and returned the memories of everyone but it apparently hadn't repaired all the damage done by Turbo. He had left his dirty prints over many things and somewhere in the game, a key was missing.

Even if she was touted as his 'favorite' there were many things the false monarch had never told Taffyta, many things that even he would blow his top over if she so much as asked. She knew this would have been one of the things.

But if the game hadn't put everything back into its place that mean the key was still out there, somewhere. Sugar Rush was a vast place, larger than most people thought. It could be ANYWHERE.

"No…" Taffyta found herself saying out-loud "Turbo kept this book in the castle. He kept it close because he NEEDED it. Even if he separated it from the key that would mean…"

The castle.

The key had to be somewhere in the castle.

VANELLOPE'S castle.

Taffyta looked out the window, the glowing lights of the castle shining in her eyes.

The key was there, she knew it.

But how could she get it?

A party.

THAT'S how.

* * *

Slithering on the floor, moving like ooze. It was hungry, it was on a search.

Data; it needed data.

It could feel it, it could smell it, it could almost taste it.

So many games, so many tender choices to eat.

But who to go to first? Who to snack on?

Bright lights, loud music.

Candy?

"_Yes, candy is good."_

Slithering on the floor, moving like ooze. It's hunger grew and grew, it knew where to go.

"Ralph, this is a great idea!"

Back into the corners, must not be spotted.

"If ya say so…."

"_A big one and a small one. They look good."_

"Trust me stink brain! Be sure ta tell everyone back home they're invited! I don't want anyone to miss this!"

"_The small one. So energetic, so full of life…."_

Slithering on the floor, moving like ooze.

"_Master was right. Master made the best choice to settle here….."_


	5. Chapter 5- Missed Date

Chapter Four- Missed Date

Everyone knows that if there is ONE thing people can count on, there's always a good party happening SOMEWHERE in Litwak's. Of course, this had nothing to do with the birthday parties happening OUTSIDE the games but rather the parties INSIDE.

Vanellope had run herself all week to give invites to anyone she could find. She went to Street Fighter, to Need 4 Speed, Bust-a-Move, all the games she could remember off the top of her head! So many times the girl had run around, she was certain she had visited a few places TWICE but she had to spread the word. She wanted people to come and meet the racers.

The REAL racers!

"A party at Sugar Rush?" Felix said as he read the invite. Vanellope nodded towards the repairman, another sheet of paper clutched in her hands.

"Yup! Everyone is invited to come! You, Ralph, tha Nicelanders! EVERYONE!"

Felix smiled at the thought. It had been a long week and some festivities were right up his alley.

"Yeah! Yeah, that sounds great! I can't wait ta be there!" he said "Anything ya need me ta help with though? Ya know I'm handy when it comes ta settin' up party displays an' all that!"

"No, no, no!" the racer grinned "This is MY party, MY plans! I'm takin' care of this!"

Felix could see that Vanellope was proud of the event, her chest out, her head high. It was if nothing could break her down.

"Okay Taffy, it's just gonna be for a few hours…." A familiar strawberry racer said to herself as she looked at her reflection in the mirror "You can NOT break down!"

Vanellope wasn't the only one who had been obsessing with the upcoming party but unlike her friend, Taffyta had OTHER thoughts on her mind. In the past, she would have never missed an opportunity to come to a party, anywhere or any game!

But now?

That sinking feeling. It was returning.

Taffyta hated the growing anxiety that had come upon her since Turbo had been terminated from the arcade. She had hoped that once things were back in order, things would finally settle down and be like they once were in Sugar Rush.

But of course.

"NO! No…." the girl frowned, fire in her eyes and soul "You can't do this to yourself anymore Taffyta Muttonfudge! You can't hi-!"

The fires were extinguished in less than a second, images of the crowd flooding her mind.

They would all be there.

They would all see her.

They would say things, so many things.

The girl sat down, burying her face in her hands.

"Urgh, I feel AWFUL….." she moaned "It shouldn't take me THIS LONG just to get my butt down to a STUPID party!"

She looked over on her dresser.

The book.

It was still there.

She had put it down for some days, her mind buzzing around with all the hidden information she had gotten, the hidden Easter Eggs and jokes about her home. She then remembered the clues she had found.

The missing envelope, the key.

A key she remembered she wanted to find.

Had anyone been in the room, they would have seen her hair suddenly flare out a bit, excitement hitting her like a sour bolt.

The key. It could be at the castle.

And the party was AT the castle.

An opening? A chance?

"Ooooh, I am NOT." The girl said, wide eyed and shaking her head "I am NOT gonna do this! No, no, no, no, NO! Bad Taffyta! BAD!"

She couldn't fight off her curiosity, she couldn't lie to herself about that. She wanted to go look for the key, to possibly find the very treasure at the end of the map but she knew it wasn't right. To sneak around the castle without Vanellope knowing, without Vanellope knowing a SINGLE thing about the book, the fact that she still had it….

"Programmers….what the ho-ha am I thinkin'?!" Taffyta gasped "This sounds like something TURBO would do!"

Turbo.

She did not want to be in his shadows any more but by sneaking around the castle, would she be doing something he would be proud of?

After all, everyone in the arcade considered her to be Turbo's personal little protégé.

Or would PET be the accepted termed?

Taffyta felt as if she were being stretched thin as her namesake candy, unable to decide where to go, who to talk to, or what to simply do.

Stay home?

Go to the party?

Go to the party and sneak around?

Three choices and they were all hers.

"What to do? What to do?" the girl thought, tapping her lip.

* * *

"Testing, testing!" Snowanna said into the microphone, tapping it "The levels still aren't right Swizz!"

From above in the sound room, the boy gave a wave "Gotcha! Just give me a second!"

The kids were going all about the castle, inside and out. Decorations were being hung, food was being laid out, and everyone was rushing here and there in their very best to ensure that nothing was out of place when the guest would arrive. Vanellope looked at the group from her bedroom window, a wave of pleasure coming over her as she watched.

She never would have thought she would see her friends from such a height but it wasn't the fact that she was in her own home once more that made her happy.

Just watching them be friends, just watching them be THEMSELVES was more than enough to make her smile.

There were no hidden strings, there were no false faces.

The kids were going about, acting like kids. Real kids.

"Welcome back guys…." Vanellope whispered, feeling a bit strange as she said it but it was a good strange. It was like saying hi to a group of friends you were told you would never see again because they were long gone.

But they were back.

Sugar Rush was back.

"An' NOOOW!" the girl cried, kicking off her day shoes "Ta get into somethin' a bit more FITTIN'!"

Back down on the lawn, the guest began to file in. Big characters, little characters, human characters, animal characters.

It didn't matter who one was or what one's role was, everyone came.

"Wow, this place is so lovely at night!" Felix smiled, leading the Fix-it-Felix Jr. residents into the game.

"Maybe…" Calhoun snorted a laugh "Though, I will admit those dark skies during the candy-bug invasion did had a touch of home to it!"

"TAMMY."

"The kids did this?" Ralph said in astonishment as he looked around, taken away by what he saw "I-! Wow! For a bunch of mini-muffins, they know how to get a place laid out!"

"Ex-CUUUSE meh!" shouted a voice from below. Ralph made a sharp yelp as he turned around, looking down at Jubileena and Citrusella, both dressed to impress, their hands held out.

"Ah-HEM." Jubileena began, looking rather posh "May we see your invitations, SIR?"

Ralph looked back at the group, unsure how to respond to the girl.

"Er, I have it right here…I think."

"Sir, you can NOT come in unless you have your invites on you! Presidential orders!" Citrusella followed, just as posh sounding as her twin. Ralph continued to fidget around, looking for the thing but alas it was not there.

"W-Wait, I don't remember there bein' anythin' that said I had to bring that pastel post-it note with me!"

"Well, I've got mine!" Felix smiled, holding up his invitation.

"As do I." followed Calhoun.

Ralph looked back, eyes wide in shock "Wait, WHAT?!"

And then EVERYONE, repairman, marine, and Nicelander alike raised their hands, invites clutched.

Ralph turned red, as red as Jubileena's dress. The two berry racers smiled wide as they parted, letting the others through.

"Welcome to Sugar Rush!" said Jubileena.

"I hope you enjoy the party!" said Citrusella.

"B-b-but-!" stammered Ralph "I was invited t-"

"GATCHA!"

A bright flash of light POPPED before Ralph's face.

No.

It couldn't have been!

"_Ya lil puddin'-head…"_

By now, Vanellope had come to a rest on the ground but she was shaking with laughter, the berry racers and a few others joining in.

"Aw MAAAN! Ya should have seen the look on your face!" Vanellope laughed, high-fiving Jubileena and Citrusella "Perfect!"

"Why?" Ralph pouted "Why, why, why, WHY!?"

"'Cuz ya complained about how doofy the invites looked when I made them…" Vanellope smirked, suddenly posing like Ralph "Oh-ho! Vanellope! I wouldn't be caught DEAD with that thing in my hands! Look at all the glitter! I look like a blubablubba pixie fairy with this, it's sheddin' on meeeeh!"

Ralph huffed again, crossing his arms "Well, it's TRUE!"

"Bah, just shut up an' join tha party!" Vanellope smiled, pulling Ralph over towards the main area.

It didn't take long for more people to pour into the candy kingdom but as Vanellope observed, there was still a bit of a hush over everyone. The racers all seemed to keep to themselves. Even Snowanna was playing the most basic music she could think of on stage.

This was droll. This was boring.

"_We need ta step things up a bit…." _

Vanellope darted over towards Ralph, pulling the man's pant leg _"Ralph. RALPH!"_

"_Yeah?_"

"_C'mon, help me out here big guy!"_ the girl whispered _"You move left, I go right!"_

Vanellope hopped over to the stage, surprising Snowanna "Snowy!"

"Gah, WHAT?!"

"Hey, I thought we were gonna be upbeat tonight!"

Snowanna hesitated for a moment, looking out at the crowd "Well, I'm startin' out with somethin' easy so…."

"ENT! BORIN'!" Vanellope said "Where are all those songs I know YA know I know YA KNOW?! Play somethin' with a bit more heart, girl! A bit more RUSH!"

Snowanna gave Vanellope a puzzled look "Ho-!"

"No, not our theme song, something else." Vanellope cut in "How about…."

Vanellope looked out towards the crowd again, seeing a group of DDR avatars chatting up with each other.

A smile could not have been brighter than the one that was now growing on Vanellope's face. She stood on her tip-toes and whispered in Snowanna's ear.

"Are ya sure?" the snow-cone racer asked but Vanellope was already off, giving her the thumbs up sign.

Snowanna paused, looking down towards the audience. There were only a few who had their eyes pointed in her direction but even with a small crowd she couldn't just sit there. She took a breath, she held her guitar.

One.

Two.

Three.

"_Girl! Give it up, go and run away!_" the girl began, singing as strong as she could "_To the arms of a magic day!_"

The DDR group turned their heads towards the stage in interest.

"Hey, isn't that one of YOUR tunes?" asked one of the girls towards her slightly older comrade. The oldest avatar smiled.

"Aw, HECKS yeah!" she cheered "FEAT. HIGHER! KEEP GOING!"

Soon more people began to gather around as the girl continued to sing, the DDR girls starting their dance, lights going everywhere as people began to join in. From the side, Vanellope looked on.

"Alright, it begins…."

Meanwhile, Ralph was doing his best to get a few people to interact. He managed to get Rancis talking with Guile, the two finding common interest when it came to taking care of their golden locks, and to his luck he managed to get Sakura to talk the gang from Magical Drop Three, she and Lovers yammering on and on about various things.

"I have a friend who LOVES pigs!"

"Oh my GOSH! Where did you get that kimono? It is TOPS!"

Things were going smooth.

But who else could Ralph introduce? After all, Vanellope was counting on him.

"I don't know, dear…" came a voice in the distance "I always feel so out of sorts here."

Ralph recognized that nasally little voice ANYWHERE. He turned, seeing Gene sitting with Mary, the mayor of Niceland looking a might miffed and separated as much as he could from the crowd. Mary reached up and tugged the portly man's cheeks teasingly.

"Aw come on. This isn't your first visit here so why the grumpy act all of a sudden?"

Gene tried to play annoyed with the baker but the blush on his face told a different story. He snorted, running a hand through his hair.

"I am NOT acting grumpy! I'm just…"

Ralph tried to hold back a laugh; what was the excuse going to be this time?

"You ARE grumpy." Mary said, moving even closer to aggravate Gene further "Really dear. This is supposed to be a PARTY! You LOVE parties!"

Mary reached around Gene, pinching his chubby sides.

"Or at least you love the goodies that come with it, right?"

"NYAGH! MARY!" Gene squealed, turning even redder.

Wait.

That was it! Ralph knew EXACTLY what to do!

"An' these, I made them with pure sugar rock crystal!" Candlehead chirped to a few people, regaling to them another tale of her exploits of finding the perfect ingredients for her creations "They only grow on high peaks an'-!"

"Ahem…" Ralph said, trying to be as much as a gentleman as possible, stepping up behind the girl "Is there a Miss Candlehead around here?"

"Mr. Wreck-it-Ralph, ya know MISS isn't my first name!" the girl pouted "It's just Candlehead!"

She was a sweet thing. SWEET.

Ralph said nothing as he picked the girl up by the back of her dress "Lemme just borrow ya for a second, I have someone I want ya ta meet."

And off they went.

"That's it, I want to leave!" Gene pouted, trying to get up but Mary pulled him back.

"Mayor Nicelander Gene, don't you DARE even THINK about going up that bridge! It's rude to leave a party like this!"

Gene moaned again, putting up a weak struggle against the woman in pink "But MAAAARY!"

"Oh GEEEEEENE!" Ralph sang.

Gene looked over, scowling "What, Ralph? Wh-?"

And with that, Ralph placed Canelehead in front of the confused Mayor.

"Mayor Booty-Shorts, I would like ya ta meet Candlehead…" Ralph began "She's the one who prepared tha wonderful array of treats you've been so graciously helpin' yourself too."

Gene blinked, giving the girl a puzzled look "Uh."

"HIYA!" Candlehead said, a huge grin on her face "Hey, are ya that chubby guy that Ralph throws out tha window?"

Gene simply wanted to BURY himself at that moment, a hand going to his forehead "No! I-I mean, YES but-!"

"Aw, COOL! I heard that ya plan tha BEST parties!"

Gene stopped, looking up at the racer with a surprised look "I-I beg your pardon?"

Candlehead nodded, pigtails going everywhere "Yeah! Ralph an' Nelly told me that ya do all these cool parties back at Nicey-Niceland an' your food is GREAT! Had I known that, I would have stopped in LOOOONG ago! I LOOOVE parties!"

Great?

Someone was actually COMPLIMENT Gene for once and not insulting him?

The Nicelander didn't know what to say but the look on his face was enough to cause both wrecker and Mary to turn a bit, trying their best to stifle laughter. Gene straightened up, trying to recover from his short lapse of dignity.

"I-! *Ahem!* Why YES! Yes, I do pride myself in ensuring that all festivities held at the apartment are top tier! From decorations, to music, to FO-!"

"Food?" Candlehead grinned, suddenly taking Gene by the hand and running off with him towards the food "If it's FOOD you're into, you're gonna love this!"

"Goodness, hold on child!"

Candlehead had not heard a word Gene had said, planting him right in front of her collection of pastries, sweets, and other snacks "An' here we have pop-rock dusted cheesecake! Dark chocolate and sea salted caramel brownies an', oh! Blueberry éclairs with a small hint of peach! Picked to perfection!"

Gene was simply lost in a paradise of food, the man unable to come up with anything pithy to say to the still smiling girl.

"D-Did you say BLUEBERRY?"

"_Thanks Ralph."_ Mary whispered up at Ralph.

"_Hey, it's what Nelly wanted me to do."_ The wrecker smiled, looking over to see Vanellope enjoying the party with a few of the other racers.

And just like that.

Everything was set.

Vanellope looked around, never having felt so happy in her life to see such a sight. Everyone was back together again. Everyone was having fun. Everyone was enjoying themselves.

Everyone was seeing the racers for who they really were.

"_Aw, don't start with that mushy stuff! No wet eyes, Von Schweetz!" _The girl told herself as she looked around. The colorful racers continued to go around, having the time of their lives but as Vanellope looked further it dawned on her.

One face wasn't there.

One racer hadn't come around.

"Huh?" Vanellope said to herself "Where in tha arcade is TAFFYTA?"

Now Vanellope was starting to get worried. She was hoping that the girl would show up but with the familiar racer in pink not to be found, it was obvious that Taffyta had indeed backed out.

Vanellope wasn't going to let this happen. She had invited ALL of the racers. This was THEIR party and there was no way she was going to let Taffyta miss out on it. The girl took off, pushing her way past a few people.

"Whoa, what's the hurry?" asked Rancis. Vanellope didn't reply, she had to focus on finding the wayward racer.

"Darn it Taffyta!" Vanellope grumbled to herself "Of all tha times ya HAD ta stiff us, an' back in your own mind at that!"

Vanellope continued to brush and glitch past the large crowd.

Past eyes.

Various eyes.

Eyes that were now focused on her.

* * *

"This is bad, this is very, very bad…." Taffyta whispered to herself.

She had done a good enough job of sneaking in, she had done a good enough job of keeping quiet but going around the castle like this? She knew she was going to get caught sooner or later.

But she was at the party, so what did it matter right?

She was in her dress, she was in her fancy little shoes and the party was happening both outside and INSIDE the castle so what did it matter?

What did it matter indeed?

The party was the last thing on Taffyta's mind at the moment. All she wanted to do was get to the library. Maybe the key was there, somewhere tucked away that the racers had overlooked. She passed a window, seeing and hearing the crowd enjoying themselves.

"_I should be down there…."_ She thought to herself _"I should be down there having fun…."_

But then she thought about them.

Not the racers but everyone else.

What would they say about her? She could only dread the thought.

Suddenly, sneaking around didn't seem that bad and if she did manage to find what she was looking for, it would be worth more than some party anyway.

Taffyta rounded a corner, making sure to keep out of the eyes of the guards still walking about. The place was packed with them as much as when Turbo was around but even though they no longer saw the racers as a threat, she still didn't want to get on their bad side. The girl ducked, skittering off like some mongoose behind them until she made it towards the library. She put her hands on the white doors, pushing in a little.

In the past, it would have remained locked. For King Candy's eyes only.

But this was a new day.

And the door was unlocked for all to come in.

Taffyta held her breath as she crept in, the moon filling the entire room with an unnatural glow. It was creepy but Taffyta had seen creepier things.

"Okay, let's do this…"

* * *

Vanellope ran up the stairs, looking around every corner and calling out a name.

"Taffyta! Taffyta MuttonFUUUUUDGE!" she called out, whistling a few times "I gots some tasty berry treats! Please stop playin' hide n' seek!"

To the left, nothing. To the right, nothing.

"Maybe she's home…" the girl sighed as she went off towards her room "A call won't hurt but if she-!"

"_Vanellope?"_

The voice echoed through the halls but it was a voice Vanellope instantly recognized.

"Taff?"

"_Vanellope?"_

Where was it coming from? Everywhere.

Suddenly, Vanellope felt engulfed by the huge size of the castle. It felt like it was widening all around her, the sound of the party outside growing more distant.

There was that feeling again. That sinking gut feeling that perhaps RUNNING would be the best option.

But what about Taffyta? Where was she? She had to be somewhere in the castle!

"Taff, this joke is gettin' old! Come out so we can have some fun!"

"Vanellope, I'm over here!"

Vanellope whirled around but saw nothing, the night sky turning from the beautiful starlit blue to a sickly, inky black.

"T-Taffyta?"

"Vanellope!"

"TAFFYTA!"

"HELP ME!"

"H-Help?!" Vanellope said, looking this way and that "How can I help you if I don't know-!"

"HELP ME!"

"TAFFYTA!"

"HELP ME!"

HELP ME!

HELP ME!

_**HELP ME!**_

Vanellope tried to glitch, she wanted to glitch but she looked down, her legs the only thing glitching. Her soles were stuck on the floor as if she had stepped on honey, the entire room going cold.

"T-TAFFYTA! STOP PLAYING! THIS ISN'T-!"

Vanellope turned.

She looked.

She saw.

Eyes widened, skin paled, sweat dropped.

"-!"

"Not here…." Taffyta said as she pulled another row of books down "But where else could it-!"

_**KIIYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!**_

The piercing scream hit Taffyta like an arrow, the girl stumbling on her feet and going tumbling down to the ground, a few books landing on her painfully but the pain wasn't her concern.

The SCREAM was.

"V-Vanellope?!"

Even outside the castle, they could hear it. Party goers everywhere heard the dreadful scream in the castle. Ralph's blood ran cold as he eyes the structure, hair standing up on the back of his neck.

"KID!"

He wasted no time barreling through the crowd, Felix and a few others following. Hearts were racing, fear was rising.

Everyone wanted to get there first.

Taffyta hobbled down the halls, nearly rolling down the stairs as she arrived at the source of the noise.

"Vanellope?! VANELLOPE?! Is everything o-?!"

Gone.

She was gone.

Nothing was left of the rule of Sugar Rush but a shoe. One tiny shoe.

Taffyta looked at the shoe in horror, the thing left as some sort of sickening memento but there were no other clues. No other source.

"_Wh-what just happened?" _

"TAFFYTA?!"

The girl meeped, looking up to find that she was now standing before a great crowd of people, people looking at her and what she held in her hands.

The shoe.

Vanellope's shoe.

They moved slowly, moving closer and closer, their eyes never leaving. Shadows fell over her, feeling like great weights of darkness.

Taffyta wanted to say something, she HAD to say something but as everyone looked at her, as everyone looked at the scene, it was so terribly obvious what had happened.

Vanellope was gone.

And in her place stood Taffyta.


	6. Chapter 6- Missing

Chapter Six-Missing

"What am I doing here?" Taffyta thought to herself, her head on the table in the waiting from of Hero's Duty "I knew this was going to end bad, I KNEW-!"

"Here."

The girl looked up, Calhoun standing before her and placing a cup of coco before her. The sergeant seemed to loom over her but there was something in her eyes that began to make Taffyta feel if only slightly better.

"What's this for?"

"Somethin' ta warm ya up…." The marine said "Ya've been here for hours. Ya need somethin' in your stomach."

Taffyta took the cup and drank a measly sip. It went down bitter but perhaps that was due to how she was feeling rather than the mix that had been made for her. She looked out the small window of the room, watching people rushing here and there. Some of the faces looked familiar; people who had talked to her and asked her what exactly had happened the moment the beloved ruler of Sugar Rush had gone missing.

Some were nice enough about it but through it all, Taffyta couldn't help but feel as if she were in a press. After all, EVERYONE saw her in the middle of the castle standing over the last thing she wanted to be seen with; EVIDENCE.

She had given her word, she had given her cries to what had happened but the racer couldn't help but feel that no one believed her.

And why would they?

After all….this was TAFFYTA MUTTONFUDGE.

Wasn't she Vanellope's rival?

Wasn't she Vanellope's BULLY?

The one who hated Vanellope, the one who was so jealous, so spiteful?

That's what everyone kept whispering, that's what everyone kept saying. She HAD to be the reason Vanellope was missing, she HAD to be.

"Kid?"

Taffyta looked up, Calhoun sitting before her.

"Look, I know you're upset about all of this…."

UPSET wasn't even a strong enough word for what Taffyta was feeling at the moment.

"But ya HAFTA tell us what happened, okay?"

Taffyta shook her head "H-How many times can I say it? I was in the castle, I admit that, but I was in the library when all of this happened!"

"What were you doin' there?" Calhoun asked, leaning closer.

Taffyta went silent, shaking. There was a reason why she had been sneaking around but if she told Calhoun?

If she told ANYONE?

What would they think?

Calhoun looked over at the girl, noticing her turning pale "Muttonfudge, c'mon."

"I…."

_Tell the truth!_

"I was-!"

_Yeah, tell the truth and let everyone else hate you more! You know it's gonna happen!_

_They're all gonna blame you! _

_It's YOUR fault anyway! Anything bad happens in Sugar Rush! _

_IT WAS MUTTONFLUB'S DOIN'!_

The racer's head began to hurt, her stomach aching the more she thought. She wanted to tell Calhoun the truth but all the guilt, all the suspicion. It was piling up on her.

"Taffyta, look!" Calhoun said "I'm not tryin' ta lay any sort of blame on ya but ya gotta start talkin'! You're tha only one with eyes on this an' if we don't get out there fast enough, who knows what could happen ta Vanellope! Ya want her back, right?"

"Yes, YES I do!" Taffyta cried out suddenly, as if she thought everyone in the arcade could hear her "I WANT HER BACK LIKE YOU ALL DO SO STOP-!"

The girl froze, catching herself in her frenzy. If people thought she was crazy before….

Calhoun stood up; she knew something else was adding to the racer's panic but she couldn't put her hand on it. She had never seen anyone so antsy before in her life and she knew it was something that would not help in Taffyta's defense. Had someone else seen her acting in such a manner, of course they would think she had something to do with Vanellope's disappearance.

But Calhoun knew there was more to it. Things couldn't have been so simple like this.

She knew that Taffyta was sneaking around, possibly going somewhere she SHOULDN'T have been, but to make Vanellope DISAPPEAR? To leave such little trace?

Taffyta had been caught with her hands in the cookie jar but the cookies had long been nabbed before she had even gotten there.

The big question however was by WHO.

"Young lady…." The marine said, sitting down and placing a hand on the racer's shoulder "If you're that worried about things, let me promise you this."

Taffyta looked over, finding it difficult to look Calhoun right in the eyes but she forced herself to.

"We just need help on finding Vanellope. Anything else, anything that has no weight in that matter….it won't leave this room."

The girl's eyes widened. This was the woman who thought Vanellope joke of execution was an 'interesting' plan, someone she thought would be the very first to accuse her of some devious plot against Vanellope.

Or at the least not put the energy into listen to her.

"Y-You promise me on that?" Taffyta said, still feeling a little suspicious "Pinkie?"

Calhoun nodded, holding out her own pinkie before wrapping it around Taffyta's.

"Pinkie."

A sense of relief came over Taffyta, if just for a moment. She took a deep breath, her head low and her hands clenched.

She had to do this. Vanellope's safety was number one in this matter.

"Y-Yeah…I was in the library…." Taffyta began "There was something I was looking for."

"Yes, what?"

Taffyta turned her head away but she had to keep going "It was a key."

"What KIND of key?"

"It's a key that belonged in this book. Something back from when the game was plugged in or something! I swear, I was looking for THAT before all the chaos began!"

"Can anyone verify that? Does anyone else know about this book an' key?" asked Calhoun. Taffyta shook her head.

"No, because I made CERTAIN that no one could or would follow me about it." The girl said "I know that's stupid. I know that was VERY stupid but-! But I just panicked!"

Calhoun didn't look too happy, appearing more disappointed than mad.

"Ya know, ya could have told someone-"

"NO. No, I could not." Taffyta said "I COULDN'T tell anyone about this!"

"Aw, c'mon kid! Ya don't expect me ta-!"

"MA'AM!" Taffyta sputtered, not even realizing herself just how loud she had gotten in that second "There's….there's some stuff I needed to find out on my OWN."

Taffyta put her hands to her chest, pointing to herself.

"Ya know that feelin', RIGHT?"

Calhoun didn't respond, the look in her eyes enough to tell the racer that while she was playing solid, she knew exactly what Taffyta was talking about.

"So…continue."

"I was in the library, looking around…I don't know HOW long I was in there but as I was looking, I tried to get to the fourth level an' then-!"

"Then?"

"BOOM! Screams!" Taffyta said "I fell from the shelf an' blasted outta there faster than a sugar star! Maybe some guards saw me THEN but I dunno! All I know is that I keep jettin' towards the front where I heard them but when I got there…."

"Nothing."

Taffyta nodded "But a shoe."

Calhoun put her hand on her chin. Taffyta seemed honest enough about it and she had confessed that she had been sneaking around but it still didn't answer the question she wanted.

Where could have Vanellope gone in such a short time with so many people around? There were still guards in the castle, people going to and from with the party and NO one saw anything?

Except Taffyta standing there with the only clue.

Calhoun looked over, noticing the look that Taffyta was giving her. It was one of pure desperation, the look one gives when they know they had so little and all they just wanted was some reassurance. ONE tiny drop of reassurance that things would be okay.

Calhoun didn't know the answer, she didn't want to put too much false hope into Taffyta but there was one thing she knew she could give her.

She could keep her promise and prevent things from getting out and given the heat that was happening, some things DIDN'T need to get out.

"Okay, I think I head enough…." Calhoun said as she stood up, picking Taffyta up off the chair.

"A-are ya sure?"

"Yes, we're gonna keep asking everyone who was at that party but from you? I think I got all I need…"

"O-Okay." Taffyta said, not so sure of what to make of the marine's tone "If you think it helped at all, ma'am…"

"Oh, it did." Calhoun responded "But kid?"

"Yeah?"

"Ya know, ya CAN talk to us right?"

Taffyta looked up at Calhoun with a puzzled look "US?"

"Me…Felix, Ralph. All of us." Calhoun said "If something is wrong, ya CAN tell us. I mean, no pressure but we-"

"That's fine…." Taffyta said "But I wouldn't wanna hold ya up right now so maybe later."

Taffyta was resisting, Calhoun was no dummy about it. She was resisting but for whatever reason, the marine did not know why.

And if anything, that was what bothered Calhoun the most.

"Kid?"

"Look, I need to get back to Sugar Rush…." The girl said "I-It's almost time for the arcade to open and…."

Taffyta stopped. It was a flimsy excuse but she wanted to get out of there.

"Be careful…" Calhoun said "An' remember what I told ya."

"S-sure thing."

Calhoun watched as Taffyta made her way down the halls, disappearing into the massive crowd of people.

Darn it, of all the things to happen on a night that was supposed to be FUN. It was bad enough that one crisis had already happened not too long ago with Candy Bug but did Sugar Rush HAVE to be wrought with another so soon and one that felt like it was only going to grow? The marine growled, stomping down the hall to the labs, her best techs going about the best they could with so little clues.

"C'mon people! Ya guys are the biggest brains I have here! TELL me ya got somethin'!"

"Sorry!" said the first tech, shaking his head "Confusing testimony, so little leads? It's not like we have so much data to work with here!"

"TRY HARDER!" Calhoun roared, scaring everyone in the room "We got a kid missin' here! We can't just stew on this! It's not a programmed mission, this is REAL folks!"

"We know! WE KNOW!" said another tech "It's just-!"

"I DON'T WANT EXCUSES!" the woman bellowed, slamming her fist on the table "I want RESULTS!"

* * *

Taffyta shuffled her way back to the game, trying her best to keep out of the eye of the massive crowd in the station. Gossip was flowing like strawberry milk through every nook and cranny of the game and the racer only HATED to hear it. She had to keep her mind focused, her mind clear.

"_Just don't listen to 'em, Muttonfudge. Don't-!"_

"So has anyone said anything yet?"

The girl squeaked, hearing a nearby voice. She ducked behind a bench, watching two characters walk by.

"No, Vanellope is still missin'!"

"Aw man, an' after she got back into power too!"

So far, so good. Nothing too bad was being slung around.

"Do ya have any idea who could have done it?" asked the first character. The second one shook its head, hands on its hips.

"Now a' days? We got all sorta crazy folks here!"

"Yeah, it wasn't as peaceful as it was back in the nineties! At least back then-!"

"I betcha a one-up on a golden coin though that one of the other racers did it though!"

Taffyta felt her skin begin to prickle over.

It had begun.

"Ya think one of those kids are even smart enough to pull something off like that? I mean, they DID let King Candy into their game."

_No, no we did not._

"I wouldn't hold it past 'em!" huffed the character "I mean, we all know how loyal they were to that ratter! Kissing up an' brown nosing to him without a thought!"

_Because we had no thoughts. He locked everything up!_

"They all hated her from the start I hear, specially that pink one."

"Which PINK one? I think a few of them wear pink or something…."

Taffyta gritted her teeth.

"Truffla? Bonbelle? No, something else that had to do with-!"

"TAFFYTA!"

"Yeah, her!"

Her name had been called. It was only the start. Taffyta remained huddled behind the bushes, her ears all open for what they had to say.

"Ya know how she was Candy's personal pet. I bet she still can't get over that Vanellope is the ruler of the game an' takin' the spot of best racer!"

"Like she was any good to begin with. I mean, it's not like she an' everyone else from that game have any REAL differences!"

"I know, huh!"

Rage was starting to come up, an anger that Taffyta had promised herself that she would never allow herself to be trapped in.

But ever since Vanellope came back, ever since the news came out….

"She acts all innocent but I know people like her! Bullies never change, 'specially after the way she CRIED!"

"Yeah, I heard that story!"

Of all the things for people to remember, of all the things they could repeat throughout the arcade, it had to be that moment? That scene?

Taffyta tried to stay steady but it was a losing battle.

"Betcha right now if someone would just raid her place, they would find somethin' pointin' out that she did it! Ya know it!"

"She is the most likely to pull somethin' like this, now that I think about it. Jealousy? Of course. It always leads to messes like this an' seein' as she doesn't have King Candy to go back crying to then-!"

"_**ENOUGH!"**_ Taffyta roared, springing out of the bush like some sort of animal. Even she was a little surprised that she had reacted in a way, the characters before her stepping back in shock. Taffyta glared at them, eyes cold as ice, a frown so sharp just looking at it felt painful.

The characters knew they had said too much but even so, they remained calm.

Or they tried to.

Taffyta crossed her arms.

"Um."

A brow arched.

"Well…."

The three remained silent. Who could put a bandage on THAT conversation?

The two characters scowled, turning and leaving with a huff.

"_Lil cavity. Does she really think she's scaring ANYONE?"_

Even after the two had left, the racer couldn't help but feel as if they were right. She might have surprised them in that moment but compared to how many other people were thinking against her?

She didn't stand a chance. It was her words against THEIR accusations and considering she didn't have the cleanest record in the arcade with them.

"Urgh, what am I DOING?!" the girl groaned, returning to the entrance of her home "The more I open my mouth, the worse things become! I can't keep doing things like this!"

The trolley picked up and slowly made its way back to Sugar Rush, Taffyta trying everything in her memory to pick up the pieces of what happened. Maybe if she found something before everyone else, they would finally shut their mouths not only about her but the other racers as well. She had heard the two back in the station; while they weren't shy about showing their distaste for Taffyta, they still held some suspicion over the other racers as well.

Why would the others go after Vanellope? They had no reason.

SHE had no reason, no reason at all.

But it was no longer about what Taffyta really knew. It was what everyone in the arcade WANTED to believe and they wanted to believe that she was guilty.

That she was….

"_A bully….Just a bully."_

* * *

Ralph barreled his way through Hero's Duty, pushing soldiers and helpers around like nothing.

"Calhoun, Calhoun! I need to speak to Calhoun!"

"HOLD IT!" shouted Markowski, stepping in front of Ralph "Hang on buddy, I know you're just as worried as anyone else but ya can't go about throwin' people like that! BACK IT UP!"

Ralph tried to move again but Markowski held him back, the wrecker surprised at how strong the solider was compared to him "But Vanellope-!"

"Sarge is on it!" Markowski growled, his feet slipping on the floor as Ralph rushed him "So either sit your big red butt DOWN or-!"

"MARKOWSKI!"

The solider turned, seeing Calhoun standing before him. He saluted, Ralph tripping behind him.

"MA'AM, YES MA'AM!"

"Stand at ease, Ralph is welcomed here. Ya know that."

"Yes, but I was just followin'-!"

"Wreck-It?" Calhoun said, ignoring the solider, "C'mere. We need all the hands we can get!"

"An' me, Sarge?" asked Markowski. Calhoun looked back, nudging her head towards the man.

"Your partner in crime's been waitin' so stead of standin' there, get back here!"

"Y-yes, ma'am!" the solider said, scuttling back into the tech labs. Ralph looked at the marine, breathing out a sigh of relief.

"Thanks…I would hate ta let things get any worse than that…."

"Don't worry 'bout a thing, Wreck-It." Calhoun said "'Kowski meant no harm by it. Just following orders."

"But have ya found anythin'?!" the wrecker asked frantically "Any blip? ANYTHING?!"

"We've been goin' over every clue an' word we've gotten but so far, nothin'…." Calhoun said, picking up a tablet and looking over the notes "All we know is that Vanellope went into the castle an' then, GONE. Thankfully, we do have a tracer based on tha data in her shoe but-"

"But?!" Ralph said, eyes filled with worry "Sarge, ya guys are tha BEST when it comes ta things like this! Ya hafta have a clue or-!"

Calhoun put a hand on the wrecker's mouth, hushing him.

"Like I said, my best tech is on it. If anything is gonna be found…"

"GREAT!" Ralph sputtered "Let me meet him so I can-!"

Calhoun whirled around, a glint in her eyes.

"HIM?"

Ralph looked down. Just by the tone he had been given, he knew things were not as they seemed. Calhoun chuckled, taking Ralph by a cover-all strap and pulling him forward.

"Lemme take ya somewhere…."

* * *

"Heh, they thought they were smart…" said a voice, typing furiously away "But ya can't beat this bran!"

Markowski stood behind the chair, watching the person continue on "Breaking through?"

"Whoever pulled this thought they could cover their tracks, scramble the feed but-!"

The computer's alarms blared, Markowski moving forward.

"What is it?"

The pair of hands stopped, looking at the screen.

"_What?!" _

Hands met keyboard once more as fingers typed away, going faster and faster.

"Remove this, unlock! I-! I can't believe this!"

"CADET!"

Markowski turned, seeing Calhoun and a befuddled Ralph standing at the door.

"Sarge, I think Mouse hit somethin'….."

"Mouse?" Ralph asked "Wh-?"

"CADET." The voice spoke up CADET Oliva Orzela…"

Ralph felt a tingle in his spine as he looked at the chair, the haughty tone hitting his ears.

He knew he was in for a surprise.

The chair then swung around, revealing an armor clad, not as buff, young woman sitting before Ralph and the others, her eyes covered by a large set of goggles but a bigger smile if he had ever seen.

YUP. SURPRISE!

"It's a pleasure ta met cha, Mr. Wreck-it-Ralph…." The young man said, getting up from her seat and giving the huge wrecker a strong handshake "Heard a lot 'bout ya, but it's nice ta meet tha big man eye-to-eye…or EYES, if you catch my drift!"

Ralph could only stand slack jawed as he looked upon the woman, turning to Calhoun a second later, the marine trying her best to hold back a grin.

"Told ya Ralph. We're in good hands."


	7. Chapter 7- Replacements

Chapter Seven- Replacements

No one in Sugar Rush slept that night and who could blame them? Their president was missing and not a clue had been found leading to her location. The guards had been sent to ever corner of the game, tiny candy citizens keeping their eyes and ears open for any sightings and the racers?

"What are we gonna doooo?!" meeped Candlehead, nipping on the lid of her hat "This is TERRIBLE! A DISASTER! Worse than a burnt cake or pie or-! Burnt CAKE-PIE!"

The racer had all gathered at their spot at the Candy Bowl, the little eatery a favorite place of them all just to sit, to think and in this case, to worry.

To worry GREATLY.

"We can't break down like this, ya know that C-Butt!" said Jubileena, patting the sobbing racer on the shoulder "We gotta stay strong!"

"Yeah, it would be what Vanellope would do if any of us went missin'!" said Minty, her voice filled with more strength than the rest could muster up "Ooh, I just wish that Marine Bug Lady would let us in on the action! I betcha WE could help her!"

"First off, her name is CALHOUN, Minty." Corrected Swizzle "SARGENT Tamera Jean Calhoun. And second…"

The boy paused, putting a hand to his forehead.

"Who am I kiddin', I'm with Minty on this! I wanna help!"

"It would be nice…" moaned Citrusella, her head drooping "But you know what they told us. Given the situation, we HAVE to stay here and make sure that everyone else is safe. What would happen if we were to take ONE wrong step and BAM! We're right in the same jam as Vanellope!"

"This stinks!" pouted Gloyd "We finally get our game back an' look what happens! It's like Turbo all over again!"

"Except this time…." Crumbelina said, her smooth voice carrying a sense of gloomy and anger in it "We ARE awake for this."

The racers nodded in agreement; Turbo had done his job to keep all true memories from the racers, making his rule the ONLY rule that they knew, that they remembered. But this time they were back to normal, back to their true selves but even with the freedom they had the still felt helpless to do anything.

They wanted to help, they felt it was their DUTY to help but all around them it felt as if no one else in the arcade held the same sort of faith in them. Either they were told to stay in the corner or some suspicion fell on them.

What more could they do at this point?

_*Ding-ding!*_

"TAFFYTA!" Candlehead said in delight, the candle throwing off sparks "Oh, thank goodness you're back!"

The strawberry racer stood at the door, her friends eyeing her. She could tell they were awaiting for some news from Hero's Duty but she had known, she would have skipped going to the small diner. The others looked on, the pale look on her face speaking towards them better than any words could.

"No clues?" said Rancis.

Taffyta shook her head "None. Not a drop. I talked to Calhoun but even her team is stumped."

"It just makes no sense…." Said Snowanna, pushing a well-needed strawberry spritzer in front of the weary looking girl "How could someone up and DISAPPEAR like that! I mean-!"

The snowcone racer stopped and she was thanking herself that she did. She had almost said something she KNEW would be a bit too much for Taffyta at the moment.

_That she had been in the castle the entire time._

"You can say it, Snowy…."

Snowanna looked over "Excuse me?"

"Say it. I know you guys WANT to…." Taffyta moaned, sipping her drink "Yeah, what you guys heard WAS true. I was sneaking around in the castle. I know I SHOULDN'T have but I was."

"But that doesn't mean you did ANYTHING to Vanellope!" said Rancis. Taffyta shrugged her shoulders.

"Doesn't matter. I was there, everyone has the RIGHT to think I did it."

"Whoa, whoa, WHOA!" said Swizz, not believe his ears "Am I hearin' this right, Taffy? Did YOU of all people say that you WANTED people to think you did it?"

"I don't WANT people to think I did it…" the girl growled "I just don't BLAME them for thinkin' it was me."

"But that's wrong!" said Sticky.

"Yeah!" said Torvald "If Calhoun an' Ralph an' Felix said ya were in the clear, then that should tell EVERYONE that-!"

"Look guys, w-we have enough on our plate as it is!" Taffyta snapped, standing up and holding her arms out "R-Right now? I'd rather everyone take their guff out on me rather than any of YOU guys!"

Rancis arched a brow; he knew that Taffyta was prideful but this was going WELL beyond that.

"Taking a fall was one thing, luv." The boy said "But as the others have said, at this point it seems that you have been cleared by the people in charge of the search. Why in the arcade would you want things to continue to point to you?"

"I said-!"

"No, saying that it's to protect us isn't cutting it." The peanut butter racer said, the others surprised that he was dropping his usual posh manner to talk to Taffyta in such a way "Taffyta, it's as if you've…."

Rancis looked up, a horrid scowl on the girl's face. She was obviously very angry about the entire situation but there was no way, no matter how comfortable he made her, that she was going to spill WHY she was behaving so oddly. The boy knew something though; everything that had led up to the event had something to do with the way Taffyta had been acting ever since Vanellope had gotten back into power and Turbo had been destroyed.

Even if things had changed, even if the racers were all free, it wasn't as if he hadn't noticed.

Taffyta had lost her luster. She had lost everything that he knew had made his friend what she was.

She wasn't as forward, she wasn't as snappy, and she wasn't as willing to add in the final zing as she had, even before Turbo had taken over.

She had started to retract, to hide herself and her words, even when she was with the other racers. It was as if she had become a completely different person but the change was NOT a good one. Rancis had been polite enough, saying nothing and hoping that Taffyta would let herself sort through her own personal issues but now things had gone too far.

Vanellope was missing but he KNEW, from the bottom of his code, that even with their friendly rivalry Taffyta had nothing to do with the crime and yet she had given up.

She had given up to defend herself.

This wasn't about 'protecting' everyone. It was more about Taffyta just letting the firing squad go off on her because she no longer cared WHO got mad at her.

"Guys, we have other things to worry about…." The strawberry racer said, running a hand weakly through her hair "What about the roster race tomorrow? All the other business we have to take care of."

"We have it covered." said Swizz "I can make some last minuet changes to the line-up. Replace whoever came in after the final call with Vanellope's spot."

"Good. But if this keeps up, the player's might get worried." Nougetsia said to herself "You know we rotate a lot more now to keep things even. If Vanellope doesn't show up soon-!"

"She will…" Taffyta said "Sh-she will. I have no worry about that."

"You sure?" asked Rancis once more "Tell us the truth, Taffyta. It's okay if you're-!"

"SCARED?!" the girl snapped, smacking Rancis' hands off her "Was THAT what ya were gonna say, Flubbutters?!"

"What? NO!" the boy said nervously, backing away "I mean-! Well, YES but I didn't mean to insinuate-!"

"Listen to me, Rancis Flubbutters!" the girl growled, poking the boy hard in his chest "I am NOT in any sort of mood to be coddled right now! I am NOT worried, I am not UPSET, and I AM! NOT! SCARED!"

"I see that, I see!" the boy said, sweating bullets "I-I-I just wanted to let you know th-that if anything were to happen, we're here!"

Taffyta pulled her hat down hard, turning on her feet and stomping to the door.

"HMMPH! I betcha are!"

The girl then left, slamming the door so hard that the welcome sign fell to the floor with a clatter. Minty whistled, crossing her arms.

"Boooooy, I've NEVER seen Taffyta so heated! What do ya think has gotten inta her?"

Rancis was still shaking a bit from the little confrontation, his trademark curl going limp.

"Sh-she just needs some time to cool off! Th-th-that's all!"

The next day, players were all ready to try their hands out once more at Sugar Rush. Thankfully, Swizz had kept to his word and managed to switch out Vanellope's spot for Adorabeezle, the players having not a clue as to the real trouble that was going on inside.

"Thanks, Swizzle." Adorabeezle meeped, putting on her helmet.

"That didn't take very long…" said Gloyd, his arms behind his head, trying to hide his surprise at the work "I thought doin' somethin' like that would take a lot longer. I mean, don'tcha need a code or somethin'?"

"Nah, not if ya know what you're doin'." Swizz winked.

"But didn't Turbo use a code?" the popsicle racer squeaked, looking up at both boys "I mean, that's how he did it."

"Pfft, Turbo went the old route. Had he actually had any REAL skill, he could have broken into this place, no code needed, not a trace left."

The boy rubbed his nose rather proudly.

"Heh, why do ya think his code was FRIED when the game reset? Cuz he did it the CHEAP way, not the RIGHT way."

"Swizz, watch what ya say…" said Sakura "Ya go off bragging like that and people will start to think YOU'RE the one who caused all this."

"Why? It's not like I'm gonna do any tinkerin'!"

Everyone eyed the boy; they knew he was lying.

"Okay, I won't do any HOSTEL TAKEOVER tinkerin'! That thing with our color settings? PURELY experimental!"

"You made my hair PINK, Swizz." Sakura scoffed, walking away.

"An' guess what? You LIKED it!" the boy called out as he followed his friend to the track.

From the sides, Taffyta listened in. Even though she said nothing, she agreed fully with Sakura.

"Talk too much, you'll see what it feels like to be blamed for everything…" she whispered to herself, getting into Pink Lightening.

Outside, the crowds roared, awaiting the arrival of the racers to the track. The players had picked their avatars, Rancis and Sticky being the first two up.

"Okay, in the lead this time!" the boy said.

"Not if I have anything to say about it, Flubbutters!" the other racer smiled.

Glancing over, Taffyta managed to give a little smile. At least everyone else was happy and if things remained the same for the sake of the players, perhaps some peace would finally come to Sugar Rush.

"The races won't be so exciting without VANELLOPE."

The pink racer felt her ears twitch. Was that the player?

No, someone closer.

She kept her head still but her eyes moved to the side. She could see them, the random NPCs from the other games, SOME games, who knew what games.

They were always there, they always had something to say.

"_No, no."_ the whispered _"Not now…."_

"It's not like they can stop a race at this point…" said the first NPCs "It's game day man. They have to play or it's out of order."

"Yeah, yeah. I know that." The other huffed "But it's just as boring as when things were when CANDY was in charge! None of these guys can do ANYTHING."

Taffyta her throat tighten and her face heat up.

They always had to say something. ALWAYS.

"Did ya hear? Muttonflub was let off the hook!"

"What!? Why?!"

"They couldn't find any evidence to back up what she did!"

Taffyta tried to keep her attention on the countdown. When was it going to go down? What was taking so long?

"I know she did it! Everyone KNOWS she did it!"

"Yeah, but like always, she gets away with it!"

"_I didn't do it…."_

"She was PROGRAMMED to be second-WORST to Vanellope so I wouldn't push it past her!" said the first character "'Member when Turbo hopped ship? SHE let him in so she could take Vanellope's place! Just pure jealously!"

"_No, I was NEVER jealous of Vanellope. I NEVER let King Candy in."_

"King Candy's little pet! I couldn't expect more from someone who was programmed to lose from the start!"

Why did they always have to do this? WHY? The more Taffyta heard, the angrier she became. She wanted to lash out, she wanted to scream, she wanted to leap out and SHOW them what a 'programmed loser' could do.

But it was true wasn't it?

She was programmed to be a bully right?

She was just a bully?

Vanellope was always better, Vanellope was always right.

Taffyta was just a-!

"Taffyta!"

The girl gasped, looking over to see Jubileena smiling at her.

"Good luck!" the cherry girl said, always looking bright "Don't let anything get in the way of your race!"

"O-Oh, I won't!" Taffyta said, suddenly feeling strangely sweeter as Jubileena pulled up to her spot.

It had to be the smile. It was always Jubileena's smile.

Taffyta sighed; while she was still feeling low from hearing the words of the NPCs above, Jubileena reminded her of something much more important. She had to carry on for the game, she had to carry on for Vanellope.

Everyone did.

Another incident had befallen the Kingdom of Candy but this time, Vanellope was not around to suddenly reset everything in order. She was gone but the other racers were capable to think for themselves this time.

Their duty?

To race, to keep racing like they had never raced before.

"THREE, TWO, ONE!"

GOOOO!

The racers sped off, the crowd going wild as they left the line.

"Okay, Muttonfudge…" the strawberry racer thought to herself "Gotta keep your eyes on the road!"

_Jubileena Bing-Bing? She's filled with jubilee! She's always smiling, always cheering, and always having fun! It doesn't matter what's going on, she'll always have your back! Whens she is not cheering up her friends, she is tearing up the tracks, cherry bombs blasting away as she turns the wheel towards first place! Of course, it doesn't matter what place she takes; Jubileena is happy just to be with her friends and is always there to make them smile!_

* * *

"Got any blips?" Calhoun asked Mouse, the tech typing away like lightening.

"After going through the entire arcade, I've been able to get some light traces. Picked up some strange residue but it got so weak-!"

The computer beeped, both marines looking at the screen.

"Mousey-Babe?"

"Whoa…" the young woman said, moving closer to the screen "Holy CRAP!"

"Okay, cadet! Tell me what ya got!" Calhoun growled.

"Sarge….this reading? I put it through the scan of all the data records we have in the arcade and while I was able to pick up Vanellope's trace-!"

Calhoun grabbed the smaller woman by her shoulders, shaking "C'mon, SPILL IT! What did ya find?!"

"S-S-S-S-SARGE!" Mouse wobbled "Y-Y-Y-Your g-g-g-gonna kn-kn-knock m-m-my e-e-eyes out!"

"Sorry…" the woman said, putting her cadet back into place "I'm not tryin' ta rush ya on this but we NEED clues now!"

"An' THAT is what we just found!"

The marine continued to type, her fingers going here and there, pulling up screens and files.

"Oh no…." Mouse mumbled "Not good, not good, not GOOD!"

"Mouse."

"Vanellope's trail is clear…." The cadet said "But the second pair? They're foreign to this arcade!"

"WHAT!?" Calhoun shouted "What do ya mean?!"

"What I mean is that whatever got her, it came from OUTSIDE Litwak's!"

"B-But-!"

Calhoun paced around the room, her hands on her temples.

"How is that POSSIBLE? Did it come in from US? I mean, besides Xtreme EZ Livin', WE'RE the only other game that is hooked up to a wireless server!"

"Ya know we would have been warned had anythin' gotten in here" Mouse continued "My EYES would have been able to catch it!"

"Then what other source could someone-!? SOMETHING get in like this!? And who is it?!"

Calhoun balled her fist, her knuckles ready to bust out of her gloves.

"I swear, I bet it's Turbo…" the woman growled "I KNEW that filthy bug didn't go down THAT easi-!"

"No, it's not him!" Mouse cut in "When we did tha clean up, I was able to find SOME bits of his data left, just for study, an' I put 'em into the base. Fried or not, had it been him we would have been alerted! Besides that, Turbo STILL would have given off traces of a complete game character! He might have been MERGED with one of our bad bugs but he was still complete!"

"Then…then what are ya sayin'?"

Mouse turned, showing Calhoun the screen.

"Sarge….this is no character we're dealin' with….It's a VIRUS!"


	8. Chapter 8- Inner Self

Chapter Eight- Inner Self

Cold.

Clammy.

Dank.

Dark.

"_Mmmm, what HAPPENED?"_

An aching body? Sore head? Fuzzy memories? Yup, signs of partying a bit TOO hard.

Vanellope awoke but her mind and body seemed to refuse to cooperate. She wanted to just fall right back to sleep, wanting to let what remained of the party the other night go away for a day but something was wrong.

Something was off.

"_Nnn, why can't I get comfortable?"_ the girl moaned, flipping and flopping, her hands reaching for her blanket. She turned again, her face hitting rather painfully onto a cold, jagged surface.

"OW!"

THAT got her up.

"Hey, what the-!?"

The young girl rose, her eyes clearing up as she looked about.

This wasn't her room.

This wasn't the bright and vast candy bedroom she had gotten back from the hands of Turbo. There were now lace blankets, no painted walls.

Just….

_Grey skies._

"What?"

_Heavy clouds._

"Whoa…"

_Lifeless nature._

"How….how long was I out?" she said as she looked around, her hand going RIGHT into a nasty looking puddle of goo. She cried out in disgust, wiping her hand on the remains of grass "EWW! How did I get _**OUTSIDE?!**_"

_***BRAWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAWN!***_

Whatever creature THAT was, it sure got Vanellope's attention.

"Holy HO-HOS, what was that!?"

The girl glitched to her feet, finally seeing that not only was she NOT in the Candy Castle, she was nowhere near the town at all! Somehow, she had been transported to a far off valley, but was this Sugar Rush? The land was so dark and drained!

"Th-this doesn't look like a track here…" Vanellope said, reaching up towards a tree. It seemed to be one of Sugar Rush origin, some lifeless gumdrops hanging from it but as soon as she touched it, the withered candies fell off, breaking like china as they hit the ground. The girl gasped, moving back and tripping on her own shoes.

"W-what happened?! Where is every-?!"

_***BRAWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAWN!***_

There it was again; that strange sound. A second was all it took for Vanellope to realize that, as horrifying as it sounded, that sound didn't come from an animal.

"_Thank goodness…."_

The deep, horn-like cry came from afar, Vanellope looking over towards the source. She could see it; the candy village still in its proper place.

But looking MUCH worse for wear.

The girl could say nothing, shaking as she peered from behind a rock at the village. From what little she could see, she saw a few tiny figures slowly milling about.

"_Are those the villagers?_" the girl thought, not recognizing the grey blobs from the usually bright and happy people of the game "_What tha ho-HA happened to 'em?"_

If Vanellope wanted an answer, she knew she was going to have to find out for herself.

She quickly dashed towards the village but the closer she got, the slower her pace became. Suddenly, she felt a twinge of fear come over her, as if she felt that if she took ONE step into the village something terrible would happen.

But this was HER home, this was HER kingdom. It wasn't like the old days when Turbo was in charge, making her a public enemy of everyone.

No, she had gotten back into power. She was free to roam her streets and not fear of being jeered and attacked.

She SHOULDN'T have been afraid, but she was.

She was scared to the very bottom of her code and it was that fear that caused her to stop only a few yards away from the entrance.

"W-What am I doin'?!" Vanellope said "Th-this is NUTS! Why am I afraid to go into my own village?!"

The racer ducked behind a tree, peeking out to get a better look at the town before her. She could see the villagers, she could see their homes.

But upon a closer look, it was even bleaker than she first thought.

Homes were run down, shops and cafes boarded up. It was if the entire place had been hit by a tornado, everything falling apart, everything rotting in its place.

Vanellope stepped from behind the tree, glitching in shock.

She had never seen a place so run-down, so gloomy, so BROKEN.

And then the villagers appeared.

Candy people, so many sad candy people. They looked battered, tattered, chipped and torn. Their usual shiny luster had been worn away, a thick film of misery covering every one of them. They were dressed in rags, paper, anything they could find. Children cried in their mothers arms, a few had simple dropped where they were, mumbling and muttering in this terrible place they called a home.

Vanellope felt one foot moving forward, then the other. Before she even knew what she was doing she found herself walking through the village. She wasn't even aware that she hadn't done anything to disguise herself, the people took no notice of her anyway. They walked by as if they were zombies, too weak and crestfallen to care or notice the larger girl walking by them.

The girl then began to remember her own time on the run, her own time of being an outcast. Even if she were alone, even if she had to hide she knew she had NEVER gone down such a level of helplessness. At least she kept on trying, at least she kept on going.

But everyone around her had stopped. They looked defeated. EVERYTHING looked defeated.

"W-what happened here?!" Vanellope gasped, seeing the decaying remains of a diner.

The Candy Bowl?

It couldn't have been. The sign was nearly destroyed, some of the letter either having CRACKED or FALLEN off some time ago. The windows were shattered, the tables and chairs thrown about.

Vanellope remembered the fun she had with the others when their home was returned to them. She could see them through the glass, hear their laughs and voices echoing off the walls.

But they weren't there. NO ONE was there.

It was empty, abandoned.

DESTROYED.

The girl felt herself glitch again but this time she was coming off the shock of seeing the game reduced to such a state.

Now she was ANGRY.

VERY ANGRY.

"He's back isn't he?" the girl growled, her fist balling up, her face going red "HE'S BACK!"

Who else could have done something like this? Who ELSE wanted to rip Vanellope away from her home, to take his revenge, to see that all who opposed him SUFFERED?

Turbo.

Who else but Turbo?

This all had the markings of Turbo written all of it. It HAD to have been the disgraced racer.

"How did he do so much damage so FAST?!" the girl said, looking around "Th-this is IMPOSSIBLE! I-it feels like I just woke up from the party! I-I still have the dress-! I still have the-!"

_***WONK!***_

Perhaps it would have been best had the President WATCHED where she was going for in her moment of anger, she stepped RIGHT into the path of a dingy candy-cane light pole. Down to the ground she went, the candy people still not taking notice in her.

"Urgh, yeah. Smooth move there…" the girl grumped, honking her now bruised nose. She blinked, looking up to take notice of a rather large sign that had been pasted onto the pole. The letters were only in view at first but she took notice of the face posted below them.

"Hmmm?" Vanellope said, standing back up "A notice or something?"

**CANDY CITIZENS!**

"Okay?"

**ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY!**

"For WHAT!?"

**ALL WHO MISS A RACE SHALL BE PUNISHED! ANY WHO WIN SHALL BE PUNISHED!**

"Wait, WHAT?" the girl asked "How do THOSE rules make se-?"

**ORDERS FROM-**

"King Can-?"

The poster then cut off, Vanellope letting out frustrated growl. She balled the poster up and threw it over her shoulder, not an inch closer to find the source of the misery.

"Yeah, lucky ain't I?"

_***BRAWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAWN!***_

There was the alarm again, the candy people shivering and whimpering where they stood before running off towards the track. Many ran into Vanellope but they quickly regained their focus on the track. Even in their rush, they made no time to acknowledge her, to say anything to her. They were far too focused on not missing the apparent mandatory races.

"W-WE HAVE TO MAKE IT THERE!"

"WE CAN'T AFFORD TO MISS ANOTHER ONE!"

"MY BROTHER IS IN THE FUNGEON BECAUSE HE WAS LATE LAST TIME!"

Vanellope turned towards the track, the huge walls surrounding it looking imposing and scary. She gulped; it seemed that all her answers would be there but at this point, did she even WANT to go any further?

She looked around, taking another glance of the wasteland that Sugar Rush had become. If she were to hide, she would stick out like a sore thumb, her bright colors clashing against the grey, gloomy tones.

"I hafta do it ANYWAY!" the girl growled to herself, ducking down and crawling on her hands "I wanna know who's been messin' with MY kingdom!"

Being as stealthy as she could, Vanellope GLITCHED her way into the garage, peeking around the corner to catch a glimpse of the karts.

"Where is everyone?" she said, noticing that the track seemed almost empty, even with the stadium seats filled. No one seemed happy nor excited though, the candy people bunched together as if they were holding themselves in fear.

Where were the karts? Where were the racers for that matter? The people on the track didn't look familiar to her.

There were no cake karts, no shiny candies, no pies.

Just random hunks of junk driven by what appeared to be more broken down and dreary candy people.

This couldn't have been possible. Someone else MUST have taken over the track, they had to but who?!

A loud and powerful rush of energy blew by the lot of racers, their karts spinning and crashing into each other as a large streak of color whirled past them. Even Vanellope had to shut her eyes from the flash, screaming in fright. She quickly covered her mouth, hoping that no one had heard her and to her luck, they were much too preoccupied with the race to make a glimpse at the girl below them. Some half-hearted cheers were made by the candy people as the winner of the race went forward to claim their prize.

"_I can't see, I can't see!"_

There were too many people and Vanellope was in no position to get caught so she had no choice but to wait for her next move. All she could manage to make out was a large dress, blood red, and a tiny green figure beside it.

Green, dull, gloomy.

"_B-Bill?!"_

Vanellope squeezed herself between a bleacher, nearly getting stuck in the process but she saw him.

It WAS Sour Bill!

But it wasn't the Bill she knew.

What had happened to the candy man while she was out? He had been shattered, broken, beaten. His candy shell was shattered in so many places, pieces of him missing. The bright green luster that adorned him was now sickly and pale, all its glow gone and replaced by bitterness. She knew that while Bill always appeared grumpy, this time true sadness shown on his face. He followed the figure in red but his head was held down, his hands clutched, as if he were fearing for his life with every step he took.

She had to find out. She had to find out who had been treating Bill in such a manner and maybe if she found out the solution to that…

Maybe she could find the other racers as well!

A large carriage arrived at the track, the vehicle within spitting distance from the girl. She hid in the shadows, watching the red figure as they STEPPED upon Bill to get a boost into the carriage, another small chip coming off of the candy-man's body.

"_O-ow!"_

Vanellope's mouth nearly hit the ground at such cruelty, her own face matching the shade of the dressed figure.

"That…IS IT!"

The girl made her move, making another glitch towards the carriage but this time she opened the trunk, squeezing herself in for the ride.

"_Okay, if they open it! BAM, right in the face!_" Vanellope said to herself, reassuring herself that she would be able to handle whatever guards came her way.

Maybe?

Perhaps?

She looked at her tiny fist and then remembered the SIZE Of the guards at the castle.

Even with her glitch, she could not match up to their strength in her dreams.

This was turning out to be a bad idea but she still had to find out what was going on, who had come to her home!

Where were the others!

The racer could hear muffled screams and shouting from within the cab of the carriage, a few loud bumps followed. She shut her eyes tight, hoping to every programmer that the thumps were the result of the bumps they hit in the road, not from a hand coming across flesh…or candy in this case.

"_Please…don't let anything else happen to 'em….PLEASE!"_

And then….silence.

The carriage came to a halt, the doors swinging open as footsteps faded into the distance.

This was now her chance.

Vanellope opened the trunk and peered around, finding that no one was there. Not an Oreo guard, not a Bear Claw to be found.

It seemed that everyone was gone from the castle!

"O-Okay, as if things could not be any more freaky…" the girl whispered to herself, tip-toeing through the front doors. They swung open, creaking loudly but still no one came. It was if ANYONE could walk into the massive palace but giving how everyone in the kingdom was acting it was apparent that NO ONE was allowed inside, at least no commoners.

The castle was eerily still and unlike the outside villages it was kept in pristine order. Nothing was out of place, not a drape was dirty, not a picture was crooked.

Everything was bright, perfect, and sweet.

And Vanellope HATED it.

Something was not right, something was terribly wrong. The castle should not have looked this way, this was not her home. The walls were adored with pictures but they were all wrong! The face, the smile, the eyes! They were not welcoming, they were not sweet!

They were terrifying, they were cold, they were cruel.

The girl walked down the halls, the vastness feeling as it were growing around her, the carpet stretching before her. She had expected to see Turbo's face lining the walls, she expected to see him even in his King Candy form looking down upon her.

But it wasn't turning out that way.

It was worse, so much worse.

She could not tear her eyes away….because what she saw on those pictures were HER.

"W-What is going on here?!" the girl said, turning pale in fright "I-I don't remember this pictures! I don't remember ANY of them!"

What was happening? How could Vanellope's dream home once more turn into a nightmare?

"_**LET US OUT!"**_

A twitch ran up the girl's spine as she turned, hearing cry from behind.

The tiny voice, the shyness and fright.

"Beezie?!"

Where had it come from? Vanellope looked this way and that but it felt as if the entire castle was twisting around her, hall ways growing and shrinking, walls lifting above her, windows warping and bending! She put her hands to her temples, her body feeling weak and sick.

"N-No! STOP! WHAT IS GOING ON?!"

**HELP US!**

**HELP!**

**SOMEONE PLEASE!**

**WE DIDN'T MEAN IT!**

"G-Guys!" Vanellope shook "G-Guys! I'll be there! J-Just stop screamin'! I-I can't THINK!"

Vanellope turned but felt her feet fail beneath her. She squeaked, turning back in time to see that she was now heading DOWNWARD, her body tumbling and rolling down stairs, so many stairs. She cried out in pain with each hit, her body picking up speed as she continued to roll and roll and roll-

_***BOOM!***_

And then, STOP.

The girl lay still, nothing moved.

Was she awake? Was she alive?

"_Ooonh…."_

Alive….but in great pain.

The girl forced herself up, every bone in her body aching as she forced her vision to clear. Where she had fallen, it was cold, it was dank, it was wet and murky.

"…_**.NO!"**_

The Fungeon?

It was the Fungeon!

Vanellope hobbled to her feet and pressed her hands against the door "Guys?! GUYS?!"

More moans, more cries. They had to be in there and she had to get them out!

"H-Hang on!" the girl cried, pushing her weight as much as she could through the pain on the door ""I-I'm comin'! I'M-!"

The door swung open, Vanellope tripping and falling face first into a puddle of grimy water. The bitter swill filled her mouth, her throat gagging, her stomach turning. She scuttled back, hitting her head on a wall but the cries continued, the shouts and moans droned on.

"I-I'm here!"

"NO!"

"GET AWAY!"

The girl opened her eyes, the horror of the space coming to her at full view. She was petrified in fright, the racers all locked, bounded and caged in the filthy grim of the fungeon.

Rancis was in tatters and rags, massive clumps of his hair ripped from his scalp and skin. Jubileena and Citrusella were bound together, their necks hooked together with irons, barely allowing for the two girls to breath as they lay on the ground.

Candlehead was unconscious on the ground of her cell, her hat and hair burnt, Sakura mumbled to herself incoherently, her eyes blank and hollow.

"_Bebebebebebebebepleaseletmeoutpleaseletmeout!"_

It was everywhere. Everywhere she turned, everywhere she looked, her friends were around her, tortured, beaten, near death's door.

Their bodies were cut, their skin pulled. They had been treated like trash, not like children.

Children were at her feet, children lay bloodied before her.

Children like her, children who had been with her only hours ago.

Vanellope couldn't breathe, she couldn't think, all she could do was look.

They were all before her, all crying out for mercy, all crying out to be free….

_**FROM HER.**_

"STAY AWAY!" said Snowanna.

"DON'T COME NEAR US!" said Nougetsia.

"_B-But what did I do?"_

"YOU HURT US!" said Torvald.

"YOU HURT EVERYONE!" said Gloyd.

Vanellope fell to her knees, lips quivering.

"_I didn't do this…."_

"YOU DID THIS TO US!"

"STAY AWAY!"

"_I didn't do this…"_

_**NO!**_

_**NO MORE!**_

_**STOP, VANELLOPE!**_

_**STOP IT PLEASE!"**_

"I didn't do this!" the girl said, her voice louder "I DIDN'T DO THIS!"

The moans continued, the cries rose. Vanellope felt hands reaching out, nails digging into her skin. She screamed, she tried to pull away but they were there. Everywhere! EVERYONE!

All the racers! They surrounded her, grabbing at her with boney, slimy hands, hair yanked, skin pulled, she couldn't escape!

"W-what is going on!?" the girl cried out "WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO ALL OF YOU!"

"_**YOU DID THIS!"**_

"_**NO I DIDN'T!"**_

"_**THIS IS WHAT YOU WANTED TO DO TO US!"**_

"NO! NO IT'S NOT!" the girl sobbed "I NEVER WANTED TO DO THIS TO YOU!"

_**YES YOU DID!**_

_**THIS WAS YOUR REVENGE!**_

_**THIS IS WHAT YOU SAID WE DESERVED!**_

Vanellope tried to glitch, she wanted to glitch for her life but they held her too close, they held her too close!

"NO! NO, THIS ISN'T REAL! THIS ISN'T REAAAAL!"

The girl threw herself forward, breaking free from the hold but she fell forward once more, hitting the brick floor hard with her face. The pain rippled through her body but she couldn't stay down, not now, not ever!

_Vanellope…._

"_Wake up, wake up!"_ the girl cried, hitting herself in the head _**"WAKEUPWAKEUPWAKEUP!"**_

_Vanellope…._

She rolled, her hand slamming down on the ground but it hit something wet, something warm, something sticky.

The light was too dim for her to see it but from what little there was, she could see it glistening on her palm.

_Vanellope….._

"Wh-who's there? Crumbelina? Swizzle? TAFFYTA?"

Taffyta.

"T-Taf-?"

TAFFYTA.

There was a loud shutter as the entire room shook, a bright light erupting from the ceiling. Vanellope could feel the heat pricking on her skin from the blinding flash but she felt as if it were centered not on her, but on someone else. She was terrified to look but her arms lowered, as if by themselves, to a lump before her on the floor.

Pink, white.

Red.

Lots of red.

There before her, lying in a beaten heap was the last of the candy racers, the last of the group that Vanellope had not seen in the cages.

_Taffyta._

"_T-Taffyta?!"_

Not a word was spoken.

"Taffyta!" Vanellope cried as she rushed towards the girl, putting her hands on her "What have they done to ya?! SPEAK! TALK!"

Vanellope lifted her head but the body felt lifeless, eyes open but not a soul behind them. Taffyta had been pulled, twisted, crushed and broken, a hollow shell all that remained.

A shell that Vanellope was now holding in her hands.

"Wake up!" she said, shaking her "WAKE UP!"

I wanna find Taffyta.

Vanellope glitched, another voice surrounding her.

"D-Did you do this?!"

I wanna find her….

'STOP TOYING WITH US!"

I wanna find her and break her fingers. Each and every one.

That voice. It was so painfully familiar….because it was Vanellope's.

The girl was frozen once more as the words and laughter surrounded her. She was terrified, she was sick to her stomach.

Because the words that surrounded her? They were her own.

"I-I was just angry when I said those words!"

I wanna see her bleed!

"NO! NO I DIDN'T!"

I wanna break her bones and watch her cry!

"_**NO, I NEVER WANTED THAT! I-I WAS JUST TRYING TO BE FUNNY!"**_

But those words weren't funny anymore, not when Vanellope looked down and saw what they had really turned into.

She remembered when she hated Taffyta, how much she wanted to get her revenge. But then things came to light, the truth was revealed. She never wanted those things to happen but her words were coming back to haunt her, they had come back to bite her in the most twisted way.

"Why does this keep happening?!" Vanellope cried out in anguish "I don't want bad things to happen to people! I don't want people getting hurt because of me!

"Ya sure about that?" cooed a sweet voice "Because from where I stand, this is just BEAUTIFUL."

Vanellope gasped, turning in time to see the figure she had been looking for.

Her heart stopped, her eyes widened.

For the figure before her was herself.

"Like what I've done to this place?" 'Vanellope' tittered, her royal dress even bigger and brighter than before, as if to show just how much she prided in HERSELF at the cost of the others "I was thinking of expanding the fungeon. Try to make it big enough to fit ALL those who are beat me!"

"A-All who BEAT ya?"

"Yeah, what other reason do ya think these BRATS are in here?" laughed the princess "They actually had the NERVE to try to best me in a race! ALL OF 'EM!"

Vanellope said nothing, still petrified as she looked at herself.

Was this really what she was like inside? It couldn't have been, it was impossible!

Or worse? Was this how the OTHERS saw her now.

"Everyone knows _**I**_ am the best racer here!" the doppleganger chortled "No one can beat me EVER an' if they do, it has to be because they CHEATED right?"

Vanellope's mouth moved, but there were no words.

"C'mon, speak up DOODIE-HEAD." The other figure cackled, glitching behind Vanellope "Or are ya really that brain dead?"

Another glitch and another glitch, the princess kept glitching around Vanellope.

"S-Stop it!"

"Awwww, is the poor girl upset?" teased the shadow, glitching back and forth as she poked and prodded "Too bad, so sad! You're as big a loser as these nobodies!"

Why was this happening? What was Vanellope being put through?

The other racers being accused of cheating if they beat her? Being put in the FUNGEON for oing so? Being beaten, being tortured?

What was the point of this?

These were things that were more align with KING CANDY than VANELLOPE!

But the girl began to think back. She began to think back to small things she had heard once the game had been reset.

Their gloom, their sadness. The words of others.

The others who had accused them, the others who had put the blame on them.

It suddenly became clear. All of this, everything that surrounded her. They were things that the racers had felt themselves, what so many others wanted to do to them, what so many wanted VANELLOPE to do to them….

And what she had IGNORED.

The figure loomed over Vanellope, her shadow covering all but the more the racer looked, the angrier she became.

This wasn't her! She was no monster, she was no tyrant! She growled, placing Taffyta back onto the ground as she LUNGED at the figure.

"_**WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"**_ the girl snarled as she rushed the imposter, SLAMMING her against a wall, a candy bust dropping to the ground and shattering "_**WHAT DO YOU DO HERE?! WHAT DID YA DO TO EVERYONE?!"**_

The figure felt not a threat, smiling even brighter "I did to them what YOU wanted, darling."

"What I wanted?!" Vanellope growled "I-I never wanted this! I never wanted to lock them up!"

A flash of light hit the girl, the imposter glitching out of her hold.

"See, not so fun when someone _**ELSE**_ does it, eh?" the doppelganger laughed "But they all had to learn, didn't they?"

Vanellope tried to glitch again but to her horror, she could not. She jumped, only to land hard on the ground. The figure cackled, lapping up the failure of the racer before her.

"I remembered when I was like you…" hissed the royal figure "Weak, foolish…powerless."

What was happening to her home? Who was this person? What had they done?

"Y-You can't do this! You can't do this to ANYONE!"

"Yes, I can! I am PRINCESS of the entire _**ARCADE!"**_ the girl laughed, throwing her arms out "EVERYONE must please me! Don't ya know that!?"

"No, you're not!" Vanellope growled "I rule Sugar Rush, but-! But there are more people here! OTHERS! OTHER KINGDOMS! OTHER PEOPLE!"

"Who CARES!" laughed the figure, stomping over to Vanellope "Do you think I would actually allow these _**LOWLIFES**_ to get away with their crimes?! TO DEFY ME!?"

"It wasn't their fault!" Vanellope hissed in pain, rolling over to her side "They didn't have ANYTHING to do with Turbo's take over! NONE OF US DID!"

"They let him in!"

"NO THEY DIDN'T!"

"Isn't that what YOU thought?!"

"NO!" Vanellope roared.

"LIAR!" the figure cackled "You can try to play innocent all you want! To act so righteous but I know what you have thought! I know YOUR sins as well, PRINCESS! YOU BLAMED THEM!"

Vanellope felt a great weight pushing her to the ground, her muscle straining as they were forced down.

"Every night you lay in your lil scrap heap, cursing them! Blaming them for your OWN problems! Your own disallusions!"

Tears were starting to flow through the girl's eyes.

"N-no! No, I never thought that!"

Or did she?

"I-! I….I never blamed them!" she sobbed "I-I never wanted to hurt them!"

"All you wanted was revenge….and so I got it for you!"

The racer's heart was pounding in her chest, her breaths hollow.

"Isn't it sweet? Isn't it wonderful? Be the role-model to everyone in this stupid arcade! Hurt everyone! It's only right! Just so long as YOU'RE happy, just so long as YOU get to have fun, it's fine!"

Turbo.

This was TURBO talk she was listening to but what hurt her so much was that these words were coming from HER mouth.

And once upon a time, she used to think them.

But not anymore! She was different! She knew the truth, she knew EVERYTHING!

"I-I might have been angry! I was hurt!" Vanellope shouted "But I never wanted to do THIS to them! I never wanted this to happen to anyone!"

"_That is because you are weak…."_ Smiled the princess, taking Vanellope's chin into her tiny, graceful, delicate hands "You are a weak-minded little tot, my darling but that is okay. I can do the work that YOU refused to do! I can be the leader that EVERYONE wants you to be!"

Everyone WANTED her to be?

_Why doesn't Vanellope just kick all those other guys out?_

_Yeah, they don't mean anything!_

_They're just there to fill out the spots! She's the only racer who matters!_

_She's the only racer who can do anything!_

_They can't do anything!_

Those words, those words she had ignored. Hearing them surrounded her only served to make her angrier, to make her want to tear this imposter to shreds!

Vanellope growled again, yanking the hand away from her face. She darted over to Taffyta, hoping that she could get her away from this horrible place.

"I won't let you TOUCH them!" the racer said powerfully, wrapping her arms around Taffyta's body "I won't let ANYONE ha-!"

"_N-n-noooo…"_

A moan; a faint little moan.

Taffyta? She was ALIVE?

The girl looked down, seeing the strawberry girl twitch and shiver in her hold. Vanellope smiled nervously, a tear or two coming into her eyes.

"Taffyta?! Y-yeah! Wake up, wake u-!"

"N-no!"

"No?"

"G-Get away!" cried the strawberry girl, tears running down her cheeks "M-Monster! Glitch! EVIL!"

"W-What?"

Taffyta twitched again, her entire body shaking and twitching in Vanellope's hands.

"No! Stay with me! Stay with me, pl-!"

It was far too late for any action to be made for the girl, Taffyta's shaking becoming more violent by the second. She gurgled, eyes rolling up as her body began to break away into rotten chunks of pixels, melting piece by piece in Vanellope's hands.

"NO! OH GOBS, TAFFYTA!"

The chocking call of the death rattle was the only thing Vanellope could hear as the pixels oozed onto her hands, spilling out onto the floor. The girl had never screamed so loud in her life, never having seen such a horrific thing happen to a fellow game mate.

"Oh-hoo, boo-hoo." Laughed a little voice "As if she were any use ANYWAY. Everyone knows the only important person in the game is ME."

"You MONSTER!"

_***GLITCH!***_

Again Vanellope missed, crashing right into a wall but rather than falling on the ground, she felt as if her body were suspended in midair.

"Such a wonderful _**GLITCH.**_"

"_**SHUT UP!"**_

"Too bad it's not a real ability…."

The air grew cold, the racer feeling an odd tingling sensation hit her body. She could smell it; electricity, power.

CODE.

The air began to clear of the dankness of the Fungeon, the cries and figures swirling, mixing together before fading out. What was once dark began to glow, Vanellope looking down to see that she was standing on NOTHING.

"WH-!" she gasped, flapping her arms.

"You can't escape it, PRINCESS…." The voice said, surrounding Vanellope from all sides.

"I-I'm not fallin' for anymore of your TRICKS!" the girl growled, floating slowly witin the void "'Stead of playin' trick, TURBO, why don't ya show your face?!"

"Turbo?" said the voice "Ah yeeeees, I heard of HIM."

Eyes darted here and there; where was this fiend? Where were they?

"Everyone tries to bury things deep within, try to pretend that they've never done anything bad before."

What Vanellope wouldn't give to have one of Taffyta's giant lollipop swatters. It could come in handy at a time like this.

"Don't act as if you're better than everyone else, _PRINCEEEEEES…._"

Look to the left, look to the right.

There was no one there.

"D-Don't think I'm scared of you! I-I've seen worse!"

"You tickle me so…" the voice hissed, Vanellope feeling surrounded by all sides "Your mind hides so many delicious thoughts, so many delicious secrets, so many DELICIOUS things you have tried to hide from the past."

Vanellope reached out but her hands caught nothing but air, her mind slipping into madness the more she looked around.

Where was she? Who was this voice?

"Your own views of others in this arcade? Need I bring up what happened when you tried to 'protect' Ralph? How you almost caused another fight to break out in your friend's game? Was that so innocent?"

"I-It was an accident!" Vanellope cried, hands tearing at her hair "I-I WAS JUST TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THING!"

"Act so high and mighty…."

"SHUT UP!"

"You're not better than anyone else here, you know that."

"STOP IT!"

"You ride on it, don't you?"

"STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!" Vanellope cried, the entire area shaking as her voice echoed "YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTING ABOUT ME! YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT US!"

A hand rested itself upon Vanellope's shoulders, the girl going still as she looked back.

"I know plenty…." Came the voice "And that's what made this so easy…."

"_Let me out….."_

"Sweet, sweet princess."

"LET ME OUT!"

"You shall always have a home…."

_***KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!***_

Vanellope hit her hands upon something hard, pounding the surface as hard as she could.

"SOMEONE! ANYONE! HELP ME!"

"But now? Maybe it is time for you to REST."

_***KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!***_

Vanellope looked back, eyes wide towards the figure. She pounded on the surface once more, feeling that her cries were now in vain.

"Guys! GUYS!" she shouted "PLEASE! SOMEONE HEAR ME! SOMEONE!"

_***KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!***_

"_Mmmm?"_

The sun had nearly risen on the day, Taffyta waking up to the sound of knocking on her door. She yawned, stretching her limbs.

"_I-I'm coming…."_

"_TAFFYTA! ARE YOU THERE?!"_

The girl jumped, rushing to the door. Whoever was there, they sure were frantic.

"Hold on, hold on!"

The knob turned, a panting racer on the other side.

"Crumbelina?"

Taffyta was sure in for a shock. Not that seeing Crumbelina was a welcomed sight but to see her so frantic, to see her so worried?

Only the most sever of cases would cause such a reaction to the girl, all in Sugar Rush used to her stone-faced yet graceful demeanor.

"Is everything okay?"

The girl was clearly out of breath but her had something she wanted to say "C-Calhoun! The other marines-!"

"Yeah, yeah?!" Taffyta said, taking Crumbelina by her shoulders. It had to be news about Vanellope!

"Th-they found a signal!"

"A signal?!"

"Yes!" Crumbelina said, looking up and SMILING at the strawberry racer "They know where she is! They're going out to find her!"

Taffyta almost hit the floor at the news, her legs feeling like melted taffy under her weight.

They had found a trace of Vanellope? They knew where she was?

To wake up to such wonderful news, such DELIGHTFUL news!

"BELINA!" Taffyta sang out, jumping in for a hug "We have to get to the station, STAT!"

"Crumbelina blinked, not used to getting hugged in such a manner. She took the gesture, taking Taffyta by the hand and pulling her away towards her cart.

"Come with me! I'll explain everything along the way!"

"Please do!" said Taffyta, grabbing onto the back of Crumbelina's kart "But I can't believe it! They have a trace?!"

"Yes.." Crumbelina said, the girl trying her best to return to normal mood "It is good news indeed."

Taffyta looked down, trying her best to hide the smile that she could feel growing upon her face. Not only was she happy to hear that Vanellope could be rescued but there was something else that caused such a reaction to appear on her face.

Crumbelina's smile.

To see her smile in such a way made her think back to the book, to everything that she had been reading.

"_Yeah…."_ The girl thought to herself as she raced along _"Belina's good…."_

_High class and high society is where Crumbelina Di Carmelo was born but Crumbelina is no snob nor a slouch on the track. Crumbelina is as refined in her skills as she is in her demeanor, taking lady-like style and grace and turning it into a powerful weapon on the track! Rich and fame is not in her forte however. Even with the sweet things in life, Crumbelina has made it her mission to take care of all. When someone is in trouble, she will always be there. Though few words have been spoken, her actions speak volumes to her dedication to her friends._


	9. Chapter 9- Little Vanellope Lost

Chapter Nine- Little Vanellope Lost

A crowd had gathered outside the entrance of Hero's Duty, so many voices clamoring together, awaiting the words that something had come up on Vanellope's whereabouts.

"She's been gone for so long!" said someone "This doesn't sound good! What if they never find her!"

"Hero's Duty is on the job!" said another "They can find ANYONE!"

Indeed, the marines inside the game had gotten the clues they had needed to pin-point Vanellope's whereabouts….

"She's still within the proximity of the place!"

But just WHERE she was the biggest question.

"Okay, so ya pinpointed a location…." Ralph said, nervousness clear in voice as he talked to Mouse "How soon can we go out there?!"

"Hold your horses-big guy!" said the smaller woman, holding up a hand "Before ya go about jumpin' inta somethin', we still gotaa make sure-!"

"_**LISTEN! SHE COULD BE IN DANGER!**_" Ralph roared, picking the woman up "_**WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO JUST SIT!**_"

"Who said anythin' 'bout that?" Mouse frowned, smacking Ralph against his nose like some sort of dog "I know what I'm doin'!"

Ralph looked over at Calhoun with a desperate look "Sarge, can ya-!"

"Give Mouse her space." The woman ordered, glaring daggers at Ralph "We're all concerned about Vanellope but I am not about ta have ya run off again. Then we'll have TWO people in danger!"

As painful as it was, Ralph knew he had to obey Calhoun. He nodded and sat down, looking back at Mouse who was typing away at the speed of light.

"With the trace we were able to pick up, I can isolate the signal it's givin' off!"

The big man inched closer, his large head over the woman's shoulders "Aaaan'-?"

"An' your breath stinks." Mouse responded, pushing Ralph away "Give me just thirty seconds-!"

Ralph rose to his feet, the chair tipping over behind him "I'm sorry, Sarge! B-But I CAN'T!"

"Ya can't WHAT, private?"

"Vanellope is out there!" the man growled "Ya cannot expect me ta just sit down an' wait ta hear that somethin' terrible has ha-!"

"WE'RE ALL WORRIED ABOUT HER!" Calhoun roared, Ralph moving back several steps in shock "Don't you DARE act for a second as if you're the only one who is worried about her! DON'T. YOU. _**DARE!**_"

Ralph didn't know what to say at the woman's words, feeling all his anger squelched in that moment.

"S-Sarge, I didn't mean ta imply-!"

"Just sit down an' rest…." The woman said, putting a hand on the table "If ya really wanna do somethin' ta help tha kid, don't run yourself ragged over this. If YOU'RE in worse condition that she is when she comes back….."

Ralph understood Calhoun's orders, seeing that perhaps it was best that he keep his strength and wits up. If he were to go about unprepared into the fray, who knew what could happen to him.

It wasn't as if he had run into that sort of situation before.

"Y-yeah…" the big man agreed, nodding "Y-Yeah, gotta stay strong. For Nelly."

* * *

Outside the game the worry was growing, ESPECIALLY after they had heard Calhoun's scream all the way into the lobby of Game Central Station. A few yard away, Crumbelina pulled up in her kart, both she and Taffyta hopping out.

"'Scuse us!" Taffyta growled, shoving people out of the way "Kinda in a RUSH here, if ya catch my drift!"

The two girls managed to run past a few surprised guards, following the sounds of Calhoun's shouts.

"Are you sure we're going the right direction?" asked Crumbelina, not at all familiar with the twisting corridors.

"RALPH! ONE MORE WORD-!"

Taffyta smiled, the sound reverberating off the walls. Taking her friend's hand, she rushed towards the right hall "Yup! Call it a hunch but I think we're getting' close!"

After a few more moments of running, the two girls finally made it to the lab but what they saw made them forget about Vanellope for a moment.

"Ralph, don't make me bring out the tranquilizer gun!" Calhoun shouted, a chair held up above her head. Ralph was squeezed near the back wall, hands out and eyes large in worry.

"Whoa, whoa, WHOA! WHO'S tha one getting' carried away now?!"

"Ah-HEM?"

The two looked down, surprised to see a duo of tiny children before them. Taffyta flipped the rim of her cap up, eyes going between both the marine and the Wrecker.

"Did we come at the wrong time?"

Some apologize were made and some explanations were given but the only thing Taffyta wanted to know was…

"Where is Vanellope?!"

Ralph thumbed over to Mouse, suddenly forgetting her name "Ask Miss Minnie, Missy, Maude."

"MOUSE."

"Mouse." Ralph corrected himself "Ask Ms. Mouse."

"Gee, thanks Ralph." the woman said sarcastically "This was just WHAT I wanted. MORE people to ride up my butt about this work which needs ALL THE CONCENTRATION I CAN GET."

"Ma'am, we don't want to bother you." Crumbelina said calmly "It is just that we are very concerned over the whereabouts of our friend."

Ralph listened to the way the caramel racer had said the term; FRIEND.

It wasn't too long ago when the other racers were not that FRIENDLY to Vanellope and no matter how much the Wrecker tried to convince himself it was thanks to Turbo's manipulation, something that everyone seemed to overlook, he still didn't know if he could trust them especially after what had happened.

"_No. NO!"_ Ralph thought to himself, slapping himself mentally "_What tha heck are ya thinkin' big guy! There is no proof that these kids did ANYTHIN' ta Vanellope! Don't jump that gun, ya know that isn't right!"_

Of course there wasn't any proof but did that matter? Did that matter at all? In the few moments after Vanellope had gone missing people all over the arcade had already decided who was to blame and who was at fault and who were the prime suspects?

The other racers.

And the one EVERYONE agreed MUST have done it?

Taffyta Muttonfudge.

Crumbelina stepped forward, the only steady person in the room at that moment "So many things have already happened to us, we cannot bear the thought of things turning out like this just as our game was given back to us."

Ralph couldn't help but feel a tad creeped out by the way Crumbelina was talking. It was like she was a miniature ADULT, not a child.

"Trust me, kiddo." Calhoun said, kneeling down and putting a hand on her shoulder "The clues are in an' we're not gonna stop till we get Nelly back an' whoever took her is thrown in jail!"

Ralph made another look, noticing Crumbelina's eyes.

They looked shinier, glossed over.

_Was she…crying?_

Taffyta took notice too, pulling Crumbelina back "We know you've got it, Sarge! I guess we're all so on edge! Vanellope is gone but this time….this time we're really aware of it!"

"Y-Yes…." Crumbelina said, her voice breaking a tad "This is something we cannot compare to what Turbo did to us. This time, we cannot put the blame on his interference with our code, his lies….this time around, we were there."

Crumbelina stopped, rethinking what she had said.

"Allow me to correct that. Maybe we were not there, but this is a moment where our consciousness are once again our own. I feel irresponsible to know that I have allowed our friend to disappear from us once again when we should have been out there for her…"

"Kid, kid, stop." Ralph said, finally realizing that there was no act going on between the racers. They really were upset that Vanellope was gone and from the way Crumbelina had worded it, it was almost as if the girl were blaming HERSELF for what had happened.

"Look, I know I've been goin' overboard over all of this-"

"Boy, HAVE YA." Calhoun snorted.

"Don't make yourself sick over this, okay?"

Crumbelina tried to remain stoic and strong in front of the room but they could tell she was only moments away from crying, crying like she wanted to hours ago.

Ralph could see it, Calhoun could see it, TAFFYTA could see it.

"_Why does she always do this?"_ the strawberry racer thought to herself _"Why does she always force herself back like this?"_

"O-Okay." The other racer said, giving a little bow as she steped back "I trust you do have everything in order. I do not doubt you for a second."

Ralph looked on, feeling silly to feel that he could accuse the kids of having some hands in Vanellope's disappearance. What he was seeing was real; Crumbelina might have been trying but she was worried sick over her friend, her FRIEND Vanellope.

The Wrecker then realized that if Crumbelina was this worried, what about the others? What were they thinking of?

"Hey, Sarge?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm gonna take your advice…." The big man said "Just gonna go out for a bit but call me when that trace gets any stronger."

The marine let out a sigh of relief, thanking the programmers that Ralph was finally going to give himself a rest.

"Wonderful! If anythin' comes up, YOU'LL be the first ta know!"

"Thanks…." The man said with a slight smile "Thanks for everythin'….."

Ralph then left but as he did so, he put his hands behind the girls' backs.

"Whoa!" Taffyta meeped, thinking that Ralph was going to pick her up off the ground "Somethin' up?"

"Yeah…" the man nodded "We all need ta get outta here…."

The man ushered the kids out of the game, walking through the thick crowd with ease.

"Tell me…." The man said "How have ya guys been holdin' up?"

"As best we can, I suppose." Taffyta said with a slight scoff, clearly annoyed by something. She spun a lollipop between her fingers and placed it in her mouth "We still get people coming in, asking us stuff."

"Stuff?" the man said in a curious tone, arching a brow "STUFF like WHAT?"

"Mainly, where we might think Vanellope is." Crumbelina answered, getting into her kart "We continue to tell them the same answer; we do not know."

"But do ya think they listen ta us?!" Taffyta sneered as she hopped onto the back of the kart, Crumbelina starting the engine "HA! Nope."

Ralph figured something like this would happen. He knew the news and gossip had been hot since the disappearance but he hadn't taken into consideration how many people would be hot and ready to leap on the Sugar Rush racers.

"Sorry I asked…." Ralph chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck "Er, ya don't need any help from ME, do ya kids?"

The two racers looked up. Crumbelina was of course driving incredibly slow to match the pace of Ralph's walking but she hit the breaks, Taffyta not even flinching a second as the kart halted suddenly.

What was up with the surprised looks? Ralph had just asked them if they needed help.

"Pardon ME, sir?" asked Crumbelina.

"What was that, Ralph?" asked Taffyta.

"I just wanted ta let ya know…." The man said in a sincere voice "If there's some trouble goin' on between ya guys…."

There was a bit of silence between the three, the girls awaiting Ralph's reply. He looked down at them, their eyes big and waiting for his words, as if they just wanted to hear something GOOD said towards them from outside their own game.

And by Ralph, of course! The guy EVERYONE in the arcade could not stop talking about, the one EVERYONE in the arcade would act upon just to get on his good side.

It was a stark difference to how things were decades ago….but was that really a GOOD thing?

_From some of the incidents that had happened, not really._

"If ya kids need any help, I've always got your back."

Taffyta felt her heart nearly leap out of her throat. First Calhoun and then Ralph. Something MUST have been going on because this couldn't have been real. Was she DREAMING?

Vanellope's new friends really wanted to help them? From the way the arcade had been whispering, Ralph would have been the LAST person on Earth that would do anything nice for the other Sugar Racer, show them sympathy least of all.

Taffyta prepared to say something but-

"Thank you, sir."

The strawberry racer looked down, Crumbelina looking at Ralph "'Lina?"

Was Crumbelina…SMILING?

"Thank you so much."

A smile formed on Ralph's face as he followed the racers into the entrance of Sugar Rush "Any time kid, any time."

A few moments later, all three were back into the game, Ralph following the girls to the main village where everyone was waiting.

"Taffyta! Crumbelina!" Candlehead shouted, her wick sparking flames EVERYWHERE "Please, please, please, PLU-LEEZE tell us somethin' was found!"

"Yeah, some 'traces' or whatever that tech lady said…." Taffyta said "We didn't catch all of it but their looking for a trail."

"THAT'S ALL?!" Minty growled "After all that, we get a TRACE?!"

The girl then slugged Swizz on the back of the shoulder, the boy crying out.

"Betch'a Egghead over here could have figured tha whole thing out in like…ten seconds!"

"As much as I appreciate the compliment…." Swizz groaned, straightening his hat "I don't have any equipment on me that can actually locate a person, especially if we don't have that much goin' for us when it comes to clues an' what not. _Ow._"

"What about her shoe? Couldn't ya have gotten somethin' off that?" Minty asked.

"Mintz, I just-!"

"Minty, leave Swizzle ALONE." Taffyta sighed "The last thing we need to do is starting fighting amoungst ourselves. That's EXACTLY what they would want us to do."

THEY?

Ralph gave the girl a look; who was this group the girl was going on about?

Taffyta looked over towards the others, a serious look on her face "There was no trouble while we were out, was there?"

"Aside from tha random butt-hole who came in askin' too many question or tryin' ta blame tha entire thing on US?" Gloyd snorted, his hands behind his back "Naw, things were just PEACHY, Taffy. Just freakin' peachy."

"Urgh, why do that always have to come here?!" the girl growled, going over to the fountain and sitting on the edge "They already hounded us to death when Turbo bit it! Is it really that entertaining ta lay everything BAD that happens here on us!?"

"Should we say something?" Jubileena said to Citrusella. The blueberry twin mirrored her sister's movements.

"No, this isn't the time Juju!"

Taffyta's ears perked up, an angry look crossing her face.

_Uh-oh._

"Eh, EXCUSE ME." Taffyta said as she got up and walked towards the two berry-twins "What was that?"

Jubileena and Citrusella jolted, looks of fright on their face as Taffyta approached them.

"Ah, ah! It was nothing!" said Jubileena.

"Yes, nothing!" said Citrusella.

"C'mon, SPILL!" the strawberry girl ordered "We don't have TIME to keep things from each other right now! I don't CARE how bad things are anymore, just tell me!"

"W-well…." Began Citrusella, the girl looking down at her feet "When some reporters DID come here…."

"Yeeees?" Taffyta said.

"When the questions weren't aimed at us….." Jubileena continued.

"Ah-huh?"

The twins looked at each other again, both looking pale and a bit queasy. Taffyta already knew that there was no good to come from what they had to say but at this point, she no longer cared.

What else could the arcade spread about her?

"C'mon guys…." The strawberry racer dared "Tell me."

Jubileena sighed, taking off her hat, her pig-tails popping out "They asked us if we suspected YOU of doing in Vanellope."

Ralph said nothing, just looking over at Taffyta and awaiting her reaction.

Citrusella continued on for her sister "We tried to say no, but they kept asking. They asked if we thought you had done something to Vanellope because you were jealous."

Ralph could see Taffyta turning redder.

"They wanted to know if Turbo was back an' if you were doing something for him while he's hiding."

And redder still she got.

"Then they asked if this was all because Vanellope had taken your place as best ra-!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" roared Taffyta, her voice so loud and powerful that everyone jump, Ralph included!

Boy, that was a reaction!

The girl knew she had gone too far this time, quickly trying to regain herself as her cheeks began to fade but there was still much blush of anger on her face. She forced a smile, pulling the brim of her hat down.

"Just all the typical nonsense gossip that goes around here, huh?"

"B-But Taffyta!"

"Guys, listen up!" the strawberry racer said, a hand going to her hip "Til all of this clears up, when someone starts askin' ya stupid questions like that, don't reply to 'em!"

"It would be that easy…." Said Crumbelina.

"Hmm?"

"What are we to do when our LACK of replies to them stirs up even WORSE things? You've already seen what THAT has done."

Taffyta looked away from the girl, "Still better than nothin'…"

"Better?! Taffyta, ya gotta be kiddin' us!" said Minty, growling in anger. Ralph had observed the little green girl the entire time. From the way she was looking now, she was ready to bust a few skulls if they didn't stop.

Who in the world programmed MINTY of all people to be so rough?

"Listen, Taff! There's gotta be somethin' else we can do!" the mint racer said "I'm gettin' tired of people comin' in here an' acting as if we had anythin' ta do with sackin' Nelly!"

"Mintz, trust me!" Taffyta said, trying her best to reassure her friends "It's gonna be over soon! I promise ya!"

"No, it's not!" Minty growled, stepping right through the crowd "As soon as Vanellope comes back, they're STILL gonna blame us for EVERYTHIN' that has happened!"

"MINTY!"

"They blamed US for lettin' Turbo in! They're gonna blame US for ANYTHIN' that happens to he-!"

"MINTY, THAT'S ENOUGH!" shouted Taffyta "If anyone is gonna get blamed here, it's always ME!"

The group fell silent as they looked up upon Taffyta, the girl furious but she quickly calmed down, wishing she had not spoken out what she was really feeling.

The racers saw it, Ralph saw it.

Everyone who was around the village saw it.

"Hmmph…." The girl said, eyes narrowed in anger "Minty, I'm sure once Vanellope gets back and SHE puts everything in order all of this will eventually die down."

"I wouldn't get so happy…." Minty mumbled, crossing her arms "We'd be so lucky if people actually remembered what Turbo did to our memories but-!"

"I believe ya kids."

The group of racers stopped, all eyes going to Ralph at that moment. It was as if the man appeared before them like some large, powerful entity, his chest puffed out and a reassuring look in his eyes.

"What did ya say, Mr. Wreck-it-Ralph?" Candlehead said, looking the most stunned of all.

"Look, I think it's OBVIOUS by now ya kids had nothin' ta do with this…." Ralph said with a smile, going over to the fountain "But if it ever gets that bad? Ya know, with people still pesterin' ya an' all? Just lemme know an' I'll give 'em tha ol' heeve-ho!"

The Sugar Rush racers had no words for what they had been given. After all this time of worrying, after all this time of being so scared, Ralph had come to defend them, he had come to defend them all just when it was starting to feel like the entire arcade were trying to rally against them.

Was this really happen? After all, this was Vanellope's best friend, someone who always was there to listen to what SHE had to say about the others and after what they had done to her….

Could it be true that they did have an outside ally in the arcade? Someone who would help them when it seemed like things were at their bleakest?

Ralph could have joined any side he wanted. He could have believed everyone else and blamed the racers for Vanellope's disappearance.

He could have went the others, they all knew that.

RALPH knew that.

As the man sat before the children, he realized something. If they had wanted Vanellope gone that much, if they really hated her so badly….

Why did they welcome her back? Why didn't they try to get rid of her from the start. It began to dawn on the man that the accusations thrown against the racers made no sense.

Why would a group of kids hate Vanellope so much that they would ALLOW for someone to lock their minds, to keep them from the truth? Why would they allow someone like Turbo to rule if they supposedly despised the monarchy they had been programed in? The accusations and stories were not making sense the more he thought about them.

Ralph knew the danger that had arisen from Vanellope's disappearance and he wanted the girl back just as much as the racers but already knowing what it felt to be put under such ire, to be looked down upon because of rumors….

_As well as to be the focus of WHY they should continue…._

Ralph knew that his friend wasn't being found any faster with the arcade getting angry at the racers. They were just as upset as he was, only having a few months from having their game returned to them to have something else terrible happen to them. They just wanted to race in peace, to enjoy their game in peace, to live in peace without people pointing fingers at them and blaming them for things that they had absolutely no power to control.

The Wrecker knew what he had to do at that moment; he had to stand behind the kids, he had to stand behind them just like he would Vanellope because at this point they didn't have ANYONE. It was the entire arcade versus them and had the arcade had their way, he was certain they would all be strung up.

Either that or more rumors would be spread.

"Wow, thanks Mr. Ralph!"

The big man looked down, surprised to see out of all the racers Adorabeezle was the first to look up, a huge grin on her face.

"What was that kid?"

"I said THANKS!" the girl repeated, moving closer to Ralph "I-I kinda thought that ya didn't believe us at first!"

_If only she knew._

"Yeah, thanks!" Gloyd said next.

"Thank you!" said Rancis.

Ralph looked around, feeling much better as the group of kids finally began to smile but there was more to his happiness than that.

They weren't scared of him.

He had expected the kids to be scared of him, especially after the way he had gone after them when they wrecked Vanellope's kart but after learning what had really happened in the game he realized that no good would be had for him if they REMAINED scared of him. While he and Vanellope were planning the ill-fated party, he saw that the kids were skittish towards him and it wasn't too hard to guess why.

But it made him so happy to know that if something did happen to them, they at least trusted to come to him.

If they were in trouble, he would help them. He would never turn them away.

And this catastrophe was the perfect time to show that.

The kids looked like they were starting to lighten up a bit but concern was still hovering over their heads. Like Ralph, they only wanted Vanellope to return and the pins and needles they were feeling would not vanish until they knew what had really happened.

Taffyta looked over, having grown silent since Ralph had taken over. She tried to hide it but there was a bit of a grin on her face as she watched the big man talking with the other racers, doing so happily.

It just felt good to see someone outside their game who didn't think they were all mean little brats, that they were nothing more than Vanellope's tormentors and that's all they would ever be.

_That there someone in the arcade who didn't think that __**SHE**__ was just a __**BULLY.**_

"_I can see why Nelly like the big dufus…." _Taffyta smirked "_He does have a good heart…._"

* * *

There was a foul stench in the air. It was if something were burning, soot, rubber, all sorts of things. It stung her nose, made her stomach churn, it made her eyes water. She was surrounded, lost, no escape in sight.

But she had to get out, she had to escape this place she had found herself in.

_Why even try?_

"S-Shut up!" said the girl, trying to walk but the ground seemed to hold onto her, sucking her deeper and deeper into the mire and muck "YOU CAN'T GET AWAY WITH THIS!"

_But I already have. _

"W-why did ya bring me out here?! What was this point of this?!"

_To have fuuuuuun, of course!_

Teeth gritted, hearts raced. She tried to pull forward again but something held her back. She looked down, the terrifying sight of the thick, black ooze grasping onto her legs making her gasp. She tried to pull back and she was only sucked in further. She fell, crying out as she hit the ground, her arms and hands now stuck.

It was no use; the harder she fought the more entangled she became.

_Keep fighting._

_Keep squirming._

_More energy is made, more energy for me to eat._

A few glitches were made but it meant nothing. She could not escape the hold.

_It doesn't matter if you're a glitch. No one can escape._

_No special powers, no special moves._

_You're the same as everyone else out here._

She continued to fight, continued to cry out and scream but no one could hear her. She was alone, helpless, fighting for nothing.

_Tell me…._

The girl refused to reply, seeing something hovering above her.

"Don't let it get to ya…..don't let it scare ya."

_Ya can hide your fear all you want, but I can smell it off ya. All you little bits of code excrete such mouth-watering fear._

"I-I'm not scared of some freak like YOU!"

_It's so cute how you try to fight. You fought so hard back then, back when everyone was against you, when you couldn't escape?_

Eyes widened at those words. How could this thing know?

_I know so much about you Vanellope. So much more than you have told ANYONE._

Now Vanellope was starting to feel scared. It could have been a bluff but those words, the way they came out, the tone, the laughter. It was taunting her, toying with her, enjoying the fear and pain she was going through.

Just like Turbo. So much like Turbo.

But she now knew better. This creature, whatever it was….it was different. Much more sinister, much more calculated.

And considering how it had managed to get her to believe the nightmare she had gone through, much more POWERFUL as well.

_We are going to have so much fun together, Vanellope Von Schweetz. So much fun bringing this arcade down from the very core. But ya wanna know the BEST part about it?_

Vanellope said nothing but she felt something moving in, something moving closer. A pair of hands gracefully brushed against her check, the girl feeling the cold skin and the sharp nails against her flesh.

_It's gonna go down because of YOU._


	10. Chapter 10- Found

Chapter Ten- Found

A day had gone by since Mouse had given her update on the wayward Vanellope but since then, things felt like they were hitting a dead end. The Sugar Rush racers were doing their best to make things seem the norm for the players outside but they knew that if Vanellope would not return, they would get suspicious.

The players ALWAYS got suspicious when a character would go missing from the board for too long.

Taffyta tried her best to concentrate, her best not to worry but as time ticked on, it was starting to get harder and harder.

How could she concentrate on racing when Vanellope was missing? How could she concentrate on ANYTHING knowing that the girl was out there?

"I never thought I would feel like this…." Taffyta said to herself, looking up at the night sky "A few months ago, I would have WANTED Vanellope to just up and disappear. It's not like I can deny that…."

The crickets chirped their song around the girl, Taffyta feeling very much alone from the rest of the game. It was just so eerie but it was a feeling she could not fully explain. It was as if her mind was trying desperately to reveal an answer but no matter what she did, she still came up empty.

_Empty._

That was a great way to describe the game at the moment.

Even with everyone else in the game, even with everything nearly returned to normal, the game still felt cold, incomplete.

"Why does this always happen?" Taffyta sighed to herself "Just when it feels like we're all going to be happy, the other shoe has to drop."

By the end of the week, Taffyta was much too upset to even race. She skipped the roster race and instead went home. She had to focus on something, something better to keep herself from going overboard but how could she not worry? It had been DAYS since Vanellope had been seen and although she now had the assurance that Ralph and Calhoun were on the racer's side….

"It still isn't enough….."

Taffyta flopped down on her couch; she felt exhausted but she was still restless. She didn't want to move but she didn't want to remain in Sugar Rush. There had to be something she could do. Something she could to take her mind off the….

She looked, she saw it.

The book.

The book was still there.

It had been a while since the racer had glanced upon its pages, her mind preoccupied with keeping up appearances in front of players. She had nearly forgotten about it but as she looked upon it, her entire body buzzed with a shock of excitement.

She had gotten so far with her reading and yet she still had so many questions, so many things to ask about the markings that Turbo had made, what was the purpose of the key that he had taken and where had he hidden it?

But more importantly….

What did the book have to say about HER?

She suddenly remembered the words that the other citizens of the arcade had said about her, how she and the rest of the racers were nothing more than brats and fill-ins, made only to spread out the choice as Vanellope was the only racer who truly mattered in the grand scheme of things.

How she was just a bully and she was programed that from the start.

That she could never be a good person, that she was always bad.

The thought of it made Taffyta's cheeks burn, reminding her so much of the things she hated about Litwak's, what she hated about so many of the people there.

But she couldn't let them know as the more then knew, the more they would have to say about her.

"_Maybe I should just keep reading…." _The girl thought to herself _"I think that should do me good."_

She had marked off the pages of the racers she had already gone through, making a few markings herself about things they displayed and things they didn't. As it was turning out, some of the things in the book were both true and false about the racers. While some things remained true to their behavior, there were so many things that they did outside what was in their backstories. They didn't fit everything to a T….

And that was something that Taffyta actually liked.

If only so many would stay and see that…..

"Why don't I try Citrusella?" the girl said "I haven't read up anything on her or the other…."

Recolors?

Was that what she was going to say?

There was an entire section based solely on her so Citrusella MUST have been more than just a recolor.

_Motherly and calm…_

"Yeah, already we hit a bull's-eye…."

_Citrusella is the softer side of her twin, Jubileena…._

"HA, so she is more than just some recolor!"

_While Jubileena is always ready to dive head first into something, Citrusella prefers to think things through and weigh the outcome._

"YUP! That's Cissy!" the strawberry racer smiled, continuing reading.

_She might come off as meek and a bit of a worry-wart, Citrusella is at her best on the track! Careful planning and calm thinking work to her advantage as when others rush in and spiral out of control, she can easily dodge and gain the lead!_

Taffyta found herself getting pulled into the book more and more. Each racer had their own style, their own powers. There was more to them just than looking different. They were not all the same on the inside.

"We have so much we can do…." Taffyta said to herself "Why couldn't we do this much when Turbo was here?"

Maybe the answer was obvious. After all, he had hidden their memories from them to keep in control. Maybe he had kept other things hidden from the racer to keep things more 'even' for himself.

And by even, what it really meant was making sure the racers could not use their own special skills and talents to win one over him.

But if they had special skills, why couldn't Taffyta remember them. She thought hard, her mind going through all the memories she could to bring up a SPECIFIC special move she had pulled during Turbo's regime.

She could think of nothing. Her mind was at ZERO.

Obviously, there were many things that had yet to be discovered.

"Maybe if I keep going….."

_Citrusella lights up the track with an electrifying ZING, leaving all other racers too shocked to even see what happened._

There was something to those words that sparked Taffyta interest. Could that be a sign of something connected with the blueberry racer? Something ELECTRIFYING?

Taffyta turned the page after Citrusella's bio, the book of course filled the black markings.

"Darn it Turbo…." The girl scowled.

This was insane. What was the point of looking at a book if there were so many things missing from it? She flipped through the pages, skipping over the racer bios and seeing more and more black marks.

"Were ya really THAT bored?"

Taffyta reached the end of the large book, feeling frustrated over how badly it had been vandalized.

"Creep…." She growled "Betcha there are OTHER books in worse condition than this. I thought the reset would fix all of-!"

She stopped, noticing some weird gaps between the pages. She narrowed her eyes, looking closer and closer…

"_What the….?"_

Pages had been TORN.

Taffyta turned white as a ghost as she threw the book open again and sure enough, torn edges were dotted throughout the book. It wasn't enough that Turbo should mark things out but to rip out pages as well? What in the arcade had the man been doing?

"This is UNBELIEVABLE!" Taffyta gasped, thumbing back to the beginning of the book to find just what was missing. She looked at a few numbers and darted to the back, then flipped back to find.

SHE was missing.

"W-what?!"

Her entire bio page was missing.

It couldn't have been. All this time, she had been so nervous, so scared to see what the book had to say about her that she dreaded looking at the pages but to now find out they were gone?

This was something Taffyta had never expected to find out.

But it was more than that. She looked at the index again only to find that VANELLOPE'S section was missing as well!

"Oh my gobs…." The girl meeped "First MY section, then the key….now Vanellope's?"

That couldn't be the end. The girl knew Turbo's tricks, she knew of his treachery.

She now knew how far he would go to ensure that things went his way.

She flipped back to the index then back to the missing pages.

CONCEPT ART!

Missing.

TRIVIA!

Missing.

DROPPED CHARACTERS!

Also missing.

KART SECRETS!

…

"Missing….." the girl said "Everything….EVERYTHING is MISSING!"

Taffyta felt flushed, she felt slightly sickened. MISSING seemed to be a running CURSE in Sugar Rush. If memories weren't missing, if code wasn't missing, something was missing.

And it all connected back to one person.

The little racer sighed; she couldn't go on like this.

"I…I hafta do something!"

It was about time Taffyta did something, especially as the mystery of the book and its contents were driving her up the wall. She was too far down the path of curiosity to just push this aside but at the same time, if any word had gotten out that she had taken the book…..

"Taff, things are TERRIBLE right now…" the girl said to herself "Some stupid BOOK isn't worth all this worry!"

Her mind was made up then and there. No matter what happened, she was going to get the book FIXED.

And who was going to fix it?

None other than Litwak's own handyman….

"Yeah." Taffyta said, trying to reassure herself "I'm sure he'll understand."

The girl then reached for her coat and strawberry satchel, placing the book inside. She could trust Calhoun, she could trust Ralph.

"Why SHOULDN'T I trust Mr. Felix?" the girl said "He always has an ear for EVERYONE."

Taffyta began the trek from her cottage to the rainbow bridge, hearing the sounds of the other racers going about their roster challenge. She smiled a bit, feeling somewhat good to know that they were enjoying themselves.

"They deserve it…." She sighed "Would be a bummer if EVERYONE in this game were gloomy."

It didn't take long for Taffyta to make it to the main station hub, many people milling around and talking as usual and as always, Taffyta kept an ear open. She actually WANTED to hear if anyone else had gossip about her and the racer, having grown so used to it by now. Thankfully, the flapping lips said nothing of the racers and the girl continued on.

"Well, hopefully he's there. I don't know where else he could b-!"

"MOUSE, HURRY!"

Taffyta meeped as she heard the powerful yell of one Sargent Tamera Jean Calhoun, the space marine running as fast as she could with her cadet next to her. Had Taffyta not jumped out of the way in time, she would have been road-killed by FEET!

"What was THAT about?!"

The two women hopped on the Fix-it-Felix Jr. Trolley, nothing more heard or said.

Something must have happened! Something BIG!

"Sh-should I follow them?" the racer asked herself "I-I was already on my-!"

There was no time to dawdle; she knew she HAD to go.

Taffyta stood tall and strong, her brows furrowing together.

"Aw, FUDGE IT. Let's go!"

* * *

"WE FOUND HER!"

Everyone in Niceland froze in shock, Mouse standing before the lot of people with her hands in the air, a triumphant look on her face.

"You FOUND her?!" Ralph gasped, a smile on his face "YOU FOUND HER!"

"Yes!" Mouse said as she SLAMMED her laptop on the dining table, nearly breaking the thing in two "An' she's a lot closer than I could have imagined!"

"Great, then let's go!" Ralph said, ready to rush out but Mouse grabbed him by his collar, the man stunned at how strong the little woman was.

"Hold up there big guy! 'Less ya got tha proper equipment stored in dem pants of yours, you ain't goin' NOWHERE, baby!"

Calhoun said nothing, looking over at her cadet with a bemused look _"Ya DID hear what ya said, RIGHT?"_

"AW C'MON!" Ralph bellowed "I have a present waitin' for whoever pulled this stunt in tha form of my FIST an' there is no way I'm gonna-!"

"Ralph, simmer down brother." Ralph said, waving his hands towards the man "Let tha Cadet speak."

"It took a bit of time, we all know, but whoever laid the original trace made sure that we would follow all sorts of paths, not the right one!" Mouse said as she typed away.

"Too bad their wild-goose chase didn't last long…." The big wrecker growled "Neither will their LIVES for that matter!"

"Hey Big Guy, have ya forgotten?" Mouse said, looking angrily at Ralph "We're dealin' with bonified VIRUSES here. Not some snot-nosed petty crook!"

"Yeah, so?" the wrecker growled "We've dealt with VIRUSES before, thanks to Candy Bu-!"

"No, no, no, no, BABY NO! CANDY-BUG ain't got NOTHIN' on this!" Mouse said, pocking Ralph in the middle of his forehead, the man feeling a sudden shiver up his spine.

"_Geh!"_

Felix moved over, looking up at the woman "Ma'am? Can ya drop a lil bit more information on tha, ahem, hi-tech illiterate here?"

"Listen here, Junior. That Candy-Bug thing? Yeah, sure. It was a CORRUPTION but that thing wasn't a TRUE virus. That was just our Cybugs doin' what they do best; eatin' an' assimilate!"

"Cybugs have a PURPOSE in our game." Calhoun nodded in agreement "We call 'em a 'virus' because of our STORY but they BELONG to the Hero's Duty program!"

Calhoun then looked over at Ralph "Don't take this the wrong way, Big Fella, but like you're needed here, we NEED the Cybugs in order for our game to continue runnin' smoothly! If they disappear, well. Unplugged we go! Tha people who put them in our game MIGHT have described them as a virus ta make 'em sound scary but open 'em up, an' their programmin' runs just as perfectly an' healthy as any other character around here. They are not TRUE viruses!"

Ralph blinked, surprised at what he had been told "But Turbo said-. He said he WAS a virus, that he was gonna spread or SOMETHIN'!"

A smirk came upon Mouse's face, one that showed forth mockery.

"Pffft, I'm certain SALMON-BOY said a lotta things…" Mouse said "But trust me on this one guys. Turbo wouldn't have lasted a SECOND with a real virus. Had a virus done to him what that Cybug did?"

The woman pushed up her goggles, the lenses on them shining.

It was almost as if she were taking PLEASURE in thinking Turbo's fate in front of such a terrible program.

"Let's just say that being a CYBRID would have been tha better outcome believe it or not…."

"Then….then what is the difference?" Felix gulped, feeling nervous "I-I mean, what can a REAL virus do?"

"_Yeah, what can they do?"_ whispered a little voice from behind the corner.

Taffyta had done her best to make sure she wasn't spotted and at that moment she lay crouched on the floor outside Felix and Calhoun's apartment, listening in as best she could.

"Trust me, a Cybug wouldn't even make it when a virus hits them, especially with all the kinda that are out there."

"Ya mean there are different KINDS?!"

"'Fraid so…." Mouse said "An' accordin' ta my readin's, what got Vanellope was one of tha higher ones."

"Higher?" asked Ralph "What does that mean?"

"We got us a virus that can act, think, move, an' talk just like ya an' me big guy…." Calhoun frowned, making it clear her disdain and disgust of the creatures "But those slimy beast? They all think tha same anyway! All hide tha same!"

Calhoun cocked her gun, her fury very much clear now.

"SCREAM tha same once some lead it up in 'em."

"Don't underestimate 'em, Sarge. Ya know what they can do…." Mouse said.

"They can do a lot…." The woman growled "BUT WHEN THEY MESS WITH MY FRIENDS-!"

"Tammy, don't aim that thing in tha house!" Felix shouted, trying his best to pull the gun from his wife's hands.

"So where did this virus or whatever it is take Vanellope?" Ralph asked "That's all I wanna know so I can get her!"

"That's tha BAD part of this, big fella…"

_"Bad?"_ gulped Taffyta _"Just how bad?"_

"It can't be any worse than what has happened, just tell us!"

"This thing, whatever class it is, it took Vanellope to the CORDS."

Felix nearly dropped to the floor when he heard those words but outside, Taffyta was more than confused.

"THA CORDS?!" gasped the repairman.

_"The CORDS?"_ whispered the confused racer.

"Yes…" Mouse continued, typing away "This thing, whoever or WHATEVER it is, they had plans for tha kid. They wanted ta get outta town as fast as possible!"

"An' with all tha time that's lapse, they're probably ta tha next arcade by now!" Ralph blanched, not sure what to do.

"Don't bust your overalls big guy, there's more to this!"

"Wh-what! Tell me! Any good news, please spill it!"

"I've managed ta track in on a beacon. The virus left us plenty of clues around an' when I tracked tha same source ta tha cords, it seems that it stopped right in tha middle of it! Tha thing is still there!"'

"IT IS!?" Felix said, hoping to his feet "Then we can-!"

"We can go get Vanellope!" cried a delighted voice from outside the door.

THAT wasn't anyone in the room!

The group turned towards the door, realizing they were watched.

"Okay, I know what wasn't one of tha Nicelanders…." Ralph said, stopping a few inches away from the door. A few moment went by but not a word was said though it was clear as day that someone was hiding outside in the halls. Ralph cleared his throat moving back.

"Ahem, it is much more polite for guest to show themselves rather than hidin' out, ya are aware of that?"

A few seconds passed before Taffyta walked slowly into the room, head low once she realized that she had given away her position.

"Taffyta?!" Felix said in surprise "What are ya doin' here?"

"Yes, what ARE ya doin' here?" Calhoun said, not looking too happy to see the girl there.

The racer knew it was a risk to come to the apartment at such a time but with the way things had now turned there was no point in trying to hide it anymore. She had heard much more than what the group wanted to get out and even if she hadn't, she knew they would be curious as to why she had come at such a late hour in the first place.

Ralph looked down at the girl as he took notice of her packed bag "Taffyta? What's that ya got there?"

The girl shuffled back, holding a hand on the top of her satchel protectively. She knew it would only bring more suspicion upon herself but with the way things were going, it no longer mattered.

What DID matter more to her though was that she was well aware that Vanellope had been found!

"Eh-heh. Well…." The girl began, shrugging her shoulders "I diiiid have a lil favor to ask of Mr. Felix?"

The repairman pointed to himself "Me?"

"But as I see, there are much BIGGER things happening now!"


	11. Chapter 11- The Cords

Chapter Eleven – The Cords

The cords are not place any sane character would want to go. The cords are wild, the cords are dark, the cords hold forth creatures that go beyond one's wildest dreams and nightmares.

Rouge characters, lost characters, abandoned characters.

Glitches, errors.

Viruses.

These were the viruses could go. These were where the viruses could collect. Hiding in the muck and crags, hiding and waiting to make their moves

Perhaps they should wait, for that signal to attack a still and tranquil arcade.

Or perhaps they would be more patient, waiting for their victims to come to THEM.

"Is everythin' a go?" Calhoun asked as she put on her armor. Mouse and Markowski echoed her movements, arming themselves to the teeth. The female of the two cadets looked at her scanner, her hidden eyes darting back and forth as she looked at the readings.

"All set an' armed!" Mouse nodded "I've got a hot mark on somethin' due north from here but there are several other faint blips surrounding the area."

"_Viruses…."_

The lead marine scowled, her nose already wrinkling as she thought about the rancid stink of corrupted code, burning binary. She wanted to bust in their faces as soon as she saw them for what they had done, for whom they had taken.

"Let's get this over with quick." she growled, cocking her gun loudly "I don't want Vanellope around those things any longer!"

A crowd had of course gathered around the abandoned outlet that the marines were about to enter, some of the lower-ranking soldiers using themselves as a human fence to prevent the nosies from looking in too far.

"C'mon, move back!"

"Yeah, yeah! It's exciting we know!"

"Look, no flash photograph! NO EYE-CAPTURES EITHER, BUDDY!"

"LET US THROUGH!"

The soldiers on guard blinked at the high-pitched little voice, looking down to see a girl in pink trying to shove her way through the masses, a few other small figures following her.

"I said!" the little girl barked "MOVE BACK!"

"What's this we got here?" asked the first guard.

"I think it might be one of those kids. From Vanellope's game."

"We HAVE names." Taffyta scoffed, stepping before the crowd "We ALL do."

The first guard blinked as he looked down at the frowning girl "All?"

Moments later, the rest of the Sugar Rush racers filed in, one after another, pushing their way past the crowd and stepping beyond the lines. At the head, Taffyta crossed her arms and glared up at the huge solider, eyes narrowing.

"Yes. Or have ya forgotten that there is more than ONE playable character in our game?"

"Look kids…." The second of the guards said, smiling as best he could "I can understand your worry over your friend but this is no place to be!"

"What do ya mean?!" Candlehead shouted, trying to look as tough as she could muster up "We wanna be here when Vanellope come back!"

"Yeah!" growled Minty, cracking her little fist "Can't we do that? Or do _**I**_ need ta show ya we're tougher than ya think?"

Swizzle placed a calm hand on the girl's shoulder, shaking his head "Minty, sit. SIT"

"Okay. We get your worry an' all that…." The first guard rolled his eyes in annoyance "But if somethin' happens, tha last thing we need is for some lil skittles like ya getting' in that way!"

"We're NOT gonna get in the way!" Taffyta snapped, stamping her foot down.

"Just listen to us, lil girl! Ya need ta stand-!"

"SMITH? JONES?"

Both men jolted in fear as the powerful voice shook the entire area. They turned, seeing their leader scowling before them, her arms crossed against her armor.

"SARGENT!" the one called Smith as he stood at attention "MA'AM! YOUR ORDERS!"

"Oh, back off." Calhoun groaned as she milled passed the two, pushing Jones out of the way "Lemme takes care of this."

Calhoun's shadow covered Taffyta like a thick veil of dread, the girl losing all the brass she had when she was talking to the soldiers before; she could only wonder what Calhoun had in store for HER.

"Kid, what are ya DOIN' here?" Calhoun said as she kneeled down to the racer. Taffyta felt as if her words were caught in her throat as she peered into the sharp eyes of the trigger-happy marine but she knew she had to stand her ground, ESPECIALLY with the other racers and the crowd behind her.

The racer was certain she could hear some of the people behind her whispering, mumbling, snickering some things about her.

_Now she's gonna get it._

_Lil cry-baby can't do nothin' now._

_So, is she gonna say something?_

Taffyta was going to say something. She was going to say something alright.

"Sargent?" the strawberry racer said, puffing out her chest "The guys and I decided to come here because we wanted to make sure when Vanellope does return, she has the support she needs!"

"Oh really?" smirked the marine.

'YES!" Taffyta said, catching herself at how excited she had gotten "She's been missing for DAYS an' we've all be worried about her! We just wanna see her when she gets back! We don't wanna make it seem like we don't care WHAT has happened to her!"

The marine looked right into Taffyta's eyes; she could see that she was scared but there was something more in those blue eyes of her. Calhoun could read anyone like a book if she got a good look at them and from the way Taffyta was standing before her, the way her eyes shined….

She was telling the truth.

It was loud and clear that the girl meant EVERYTHING that she had said and as she peered at the other racers what fear around them was also accompanied by their own sense of duty. They wanted to be there as much as they were scared. They wanted to show Vanellope that they cared, that they were not going to run away or leave her alone. Not like they had done so many years before.

It was on ALL of their faces but for Taffyta? For Taffyta it was showing the most, as if the girl was forcing out more than was needed.

The marine chuckled softly, shaking her head.

"Young lady?"

Taffyta gulped "Yes?"

"Just don't come TOO close to tha cords, okay?"

The strawberry racer was blown away by what she had been told. Had Calhoun actually believed her, trusted her?

CALHOUN?

One of Vanellope's closest friends?

"But ma'am-!" stammered Smith.

"Those kids-!" sputtered Jones.

"They'll be just fine." The marine said as she marched passed the guards and to the control vehicle "I trust them good enough but if ya wanna do me a big favor?"

"Yes, Sargent!" said Smith.

"Make sure they are kept far enough from tha impact zone."

"Impact zone?" asked Jones.

"Yeah?" the marine smirked as she got into the craft "We're gonna block this place up once we're done. What else did ya expect us ta do?"

The door slammed as the engines road, flames burning behind them.

"Muttonfudge!" Calhoun called down towards the racer.

Taffyta, holding her hat on her head, squinted through the light "Yeah?"

"Ya guys shouldn't worry 'bout a thing! We'll be back with Nelly before ya know it!"

Even if the craft was roaring at ear-splitting levels, there was something to Calhoun's shout that ensured the girl that things were GOING to be alright.

But if that were they case, why couldn't she get rid of the worried feeling within her?

In a flash of light, the craft took off and as soon as it passed the walls of the arcade, the entire team got a glimpse at just how VAST the cords were.

"Whoa….." said Markowski as he looked around "Place is even bigger than our game!"

"Don't get too impressed." Mouse replied, typing away on her computer "We're here on a mission, remember big guy?"

"So how are the blips holdin' out?" asked Calhoun.

"The strongest readin' is still on which is good. Comparing it to the others, I've come to the conclusion that it IS Vanellope!"

"Great!" the head marine said "Maybe this will be a lot easier than I thought. A pity though, since I DID wanna bust some heads."

"Ho, wait wait wait wait WAAAIT…." Mouse said "Holy crap."

Calhoun looked over at her cadet, eying the screen along with her "What's the scan say now?"

The group looked at the screen, the large blip suddenly becoming swamped with smaller blips, their forms popping up from all directions. Mouse scowled, fingers blazing away on her screen.

"Pfft, figures." Huffed the young marine.

Calhoun nodded "Viruses?"

"Dur. What else shall come forth and fester this far?"

"What's tha count on 'em?"

"Seventy-five an' countin'." the cadet said "I said COUNTIN'. These lil guys are poppin' up faster than 'shrooms after a rainstorm!"

"Then let's have us a lil harvest then." Calhoun frowned "Tell Harris up there to lay it down! We need to get to that kid as fast as we can!"

Markowski made his way to the front of the vehicle, knocking on the side of the wall.

"Harris?"

"Yeah?" said the driver.

"Give Calhoun a number seven!"

The pilot nodded, his hands gripping the control and his foot SLAMMING on the accelerator. As quick as a blink, the craft took off down the cords at break-neck speed.

But its speed caught the attention of a few residence in the darkness. A few who were hungry for data.

"Steady, STEADY!" said Mouse "Almost there!"

The radar was going off, squealing the closer the group got! They were almost there.

"NOW! STOP!" shouted Mouse "We're right on top'a her!"

The craft came to a halt but as soon as it did….

"Hey, what-?"

"Mouse?"

Calhoun looked down fast enough to notice the smaller blips disappearing from the screen, leaving the lone Vanellope stranded.

"This….this is odd." Mouse said as she stroked her chin "Odd. An' a trap if I didn't know any better."

"Yeah, I see it." Calhoun nodded, Markowski following after.

"Damn it, if we were just doin' a sweep, I would recommend a Flash Bomb for this…." The cadet growled "But with tha kid bein' in tha middle of this mess?"

"Mess? Hmph!" laughed Calhoun "Oh yeah, things ARE gonna get messy, Mousey."

The marine went over to the weapon's wall, browsing through the large collection of gun she had to her picking.

"Sarge?"

"Those lil boogers wanna play us?" the head marine said "Heh. FINE. Let 'em do that. A lil fun ta be had before they fry."

Markowski and Mouse exchanged glances; they knew that tone. They knew that laugh.

Nothing good could come from it, at least anything that was facing the end of Calhoun's gun barrels.

"Hey big boy, catch." Calhoun said a she tossed a gun at Markowski.

"Gah! M-Ma'am?"

"Round up the team. We're gonna show these mites why it's a bad idea ta kidnap ANYONE from Litwak's!"

Armed and ready, the Hero's Duty soldiers filed out of the craft, landing as stealthy as they could. As soon as her feet hit the ground, Calhoun could feel the thick sludge and broken bits of code under her feet, the sick squelch oozing from under her boots.

"Even Cybugs aren't this disgustin'….." the woman growled, wrinkling her nose. She signaled to the others, the group fanning out through the distance "Keep quiet. Signal when ya need to an' call me if ANY of ya see Vanellope!"

The characters spread, flashlights kept on and their movements careful. They were aware they were surrounded so their wits had to remain sharp. One false move, one false noise?

**CHOMP.**

Game over, and for GOOD.

Things wriggled, things squirmed. The small sounds of hissing and crawling could he heard from all directions. This wasn't Hero's Duty, this was a whole new ballpark.

"Urgh, they sound like BUGS….." Markowski groaned to himself, shaking his head, his skin crawling under the armor plating of his suit "But I would be so lucky ta face bugs at this point."

"Heeeeeelp!"

The solider stopped in his tracks.

Was that Vanellope?

"Kid?" the man called out in a whisper "Kid, is that you?"

"Heeeeeelp me!"

"Sarge!" the man called into his com "I'm gettin' a sound!"

"From tha viruses?" answered the lead marine.

"No, tha kid!"

From her position, Calhoun froze. She looked at her radar, seeing that according to its reading SHE was the one who was closest to the child.

"Wait, WHAT!?" the woman gasped "Markowski, what are ya-?!"

"I've got a readin'!" the man said over the com "Says she a few yards ta tha East of me!"

"No! WAIT!" the woman called "It says she's a few yards to the WEST!"

"Sarge!"

Mouse?

"Cadet, what is it?!" the woman blared.

"I'm-! I'm pickin' up new readin's!"

Calhoun felt something moving past her from behind. She turned quickly, pulling out a gun.

"Mousey, tell me what tha hell is goin' on…."

"Okay, those readin's I thought were Vanellope's?"

"Go ooooon.."

"They're POPPIN' up all over tha place!"

Calhoun paled, realizing what had just happened.

A trap.

"MOUSE!"

_**SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH!**_

The marine turned, a large misshapen creature SAILING down towards her from a crag!

"Aw SHI-!"

The two collided, the creature rolling over Calhoun and pinning her to the thick muck on the ground. It slashed, it swung, it tried everything to break the outer shell of Calhoun's armor.

"UUURGH! NASTY-ASS PILE OF-!"

_***KA-BAM!***_

The woman turned, one of her soldiers standing over her.

"Sargent!"

"Contact tha others! It's an amb-!"

_**KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!**_

_**HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISS!**_

_**CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAW!**_

Calhoun's eyes focused on the creatures before her.

So many eyes, so many eyes aimed right at her and her soldier.

"_It's an ambush…."_

And now the battle bad begun.

Viruses were crawling out of every nook and cranny in the area, the monsters rushing the soldiers at every angle. To the west, characters were attacked, to the east they were being mauled. It was a frenzy and from the looks of things….

"DAMN IT!"

The virus were winning.

Markowski shot a blast through one of the beast, innards and code going everywhere.

"C'MON! C'MON!" the man roared "YA ACT SO TOUGH! YA ACT SO-!"

A skin-crawling screech hit the man's ears as he was knocked to the ground, looking up to see one of the nasties on his back!

"Urgh! L-Lemme just wring your NECK!"

The creature was just about to sink its teeth into the man's armor when another shot flew through the air, obliterating it to nothing.

"Lucky shot!" Markowski called to his partner.

"Lucky?" the man retorted, readying himself for another shot "I would call that-_**AUUUUUUUUUUURGH!"**_

**CHOMP.**

"AW GAWD!" Markowski shuddered as the large virus jumped out of nowhere. He sprang to his feet and gunned towards it, blasters going away but this virus was MUCH bigger, MUCH stronger and it was making a meal out of the solider who had seconds before helped save him.

"Ya disgustin' wart! GET OFFA HIM!"

Markowski jumped atop the huge beast but it was no use. From what he could see as he hung on for his life was the chewed and corrupted remains of his partner, his eyes still open but glitching as the corrupted program began to take over.

"Aw, HELL."

NOW the soldier wanted blood.

He gripped tightly on the back of the viruses neck, his free hand reaching down for his belt.

"Ya look so hungry!" he growled, removing a bomb "Here! Bon appetite or whatever tha French say!"

The marine shoved his fist down the creature's throat, the bomb instantly swallowed.

_Beep._

Beep beep.

BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBE-!

Bing.

_**BOOM!**_

In a bright and powerful blast, the viruses was destroyed as the anti-viral bomb went off inside of it. Markowski was flung back into the air, the man crying out as he flew above all his team-mates, the moment slowing down as he realized just what was going on.

"The things we do in our spare time….." the man said, feeling almost serene as he glided gracefully overhead.

Until the sudden stop of course.

_**CRASH!**_

"Marky!" shouted a solider "Man, do ya know what decade it is?!"

The man moaned seconds after landing face first on the ground "Urgh, the decade of the sheep?"

If only all that muck had provided more padding for the fall.

Calhoun shot a blast towards another beast "Some of these things are too powerful for tha anti-virals!"

"Have ya tried makin' 'em swallow it?" asked another solider as he fired away "Bitter pill, bitter blast?"

"MARKOWSKI! We need those firin' hands of yours 'bout now!"

"I'm up, Sarge. I'M UP!" the man stumbled "First, tell me if I do have a concussion or if there really are THREE of those things in fronta me."

A virus swung at the surprised solider which was just what he needed to wake him up. Had the monster knew what was coming next, they would have left the man on the ground however. Gunless, Markowski looked right up at the creatures, scowled, and-

Bam!

One punch!

BAM!

Two punch!

_**BAM!**_

Three!

Without bombs nor bullets, Markowski knocked the three beasties to the ground, cracking his neck.

"Never mind. Took care of it."

"Mouse, are ya there?" Calhoun called into her com "Tell me where Vanellope, NOW! Tha REAL one if ya please!"

"I'm workin' on it, I'm workin' on it!" the woman called back from the craft "I'm tryin' ta get my radar to get a solid readin' on her but with all the data these turds have taken in, they've started tha assimilation process! They can copy complete character data now without revealin' their own!"

"Son of a-!"

"Heh, considering how they replicate, sayin' 'SON OF' might be more spot on than ya think, Sarge."

Calhoun took one last look at her radar.

Vanellope: Due north.

She had a feeling; a DEEP feeling. She knew she had to break through the attack and find her. The battle was only holding her back for who knew what terrible fate the little racer was going through while the soldiers shot away.

"Markowski?"

The big man took care of kneeing another virus in the face, making a quick glance at his commanding officer "Yeah, all done with this one!"

"Cover for me." The woman scowled "I'm goin' in!"

"S-sarge, wait!" the man cried out as he reached out for his leader, missing her by seconds "Don't go in by yourself!"

But what was exactly what she HAD to do.

Calhoun ran as fast as she could, watching her soldiers fight, watching her soldiers fall. She shot at what she could, hitting the creatures every time but there were just too many of them, just too many of them for her team to tackle in such a manner.

"Head back towards tha ship!" she ordered "Shield tha craft an' wait for my signal!"

"Signal?!" called Mouse over the com "WHAT signal?!"

"You'll get it soon enough!" the woman called back "Just-!"

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

Now THAT voice sounded familiar.

"Vanellope?!"

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

A wall of viruses lay in Calhoun's way but the woman was not about to give up. She pulled out her gun, she readied her bombs.

"C'mon…." she frowned "Let's dance."

The woman jumped in, viruses following. Some gabbed for her arms, others grabbed for her legs but at each attempt they made-

BAM!

KA-POW!

BOOM!

BANG!

Gun blasts, punches, kicks, twists. Calhoun was a fighter and fight the beasties is what she did.

"YAURGH! Just try an' get me ya freaks!"

Calhoun was now blasting away at top speed but through her fighting she kept one ear open.

HELP ME!

One ear open for Vanellope.

"Kid!" she cried back "Stay where ya are! I'll be there!"

"Calhoun?! CALHOUN!" cried the familiar voice, sobs heard "H-Help! I can't glitch out fast enough!"

"Don't!" the woman said "JUST-!"

"F-F-F-F-FRESH MEAT!"

Calhoun cried out as a rather weighty viruses landed on her!

"OOF!"

She looked back and as her eyes looked upon the figure….

"N-no…."

Virus?

This was no virus or at least one YET.

The hefty figure turned out to be one of her MEN, the man slowly becoming corrupted by the virus programming!

"Yeah, shudda seen this comin'."

"SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGE!" the man cried out, smacking Calhoun in the face and knocking her a good three yards away "M-M-M-Must assimilate!"

There was much pain in Calhoun's body as she landed but she forced herself up, wiping the blood from her brow.

"_Aw man, what ta do…."_

What to do indeed? The character had been completely corrupted by this point and she was running out of anti-virals. She grabbed onto one of the bombs and HURLED it at the man but even as it knocked him down, he did not stop.

"W-what?!"

He got back up, looking as his body repaired itself.

She was going to need something bigger.

But what about Vanellope?

By some stroke of luck, the hit that Calhoun had taken was just enough to knock her closer to the child and as she walked back to evade her corrupted cadet, she peered back.

"_Nnn, help!"_

And saw her.

"Vanellope!"

"C-Calhoun?"

It was Vanellope alright. Calhoun recognized the tattered dress and the missing shoe, the very clothing that the child had worn on the night of her kidnapping.

She was surrounded by viruses, all sizes all types, and could not run.

"Aw, kid!"

The little racer screamed again, huddling in horror as a virus took aim for her, its sharp teeth ready to rip into her flesh, pixel by pixel.

"C-Calhoun!"

"I'm comin'!" the woman cried out but before she could move-

*WA-BAM!*

"AUUUURGH!"

The marine was thrown to the floor, the infected marine landing atop her. She turned towards the man, seeing that anything that was once familiar about him was now corrupted and twisted but there still had to be a mind in there, there still had to be programming!

"S-Solider, stand down!" the woman growled, reaching up and grabbing the growling man around his shoulders.

"E-E-EAT!" he roared "INFECT AND CONSUME! IN-IN-INFECT AND CONSUME FOR THE HIVE!"

"Solider, listen to me!" the woman called out again, finding a bit of leverage to sit up "Remember what game you're from! Remember your duty! REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE!"

"CONSUME!" roared the solider.

"Answer!" cried Calhoun.

"CONSUME FOR THE HIVE!"

"You are a FIGHTER! YOU FIGHT FOR GOOD!"

"CONSUME FOR THE MASTER PROGRAM!"

"HELP ME!" cried Vanellope "HELP ME BEFORE THEY GET ME!"

Calhoun took one look at the girl and then another towards her solider. She looked into his eyes.

Gone.

He was all gone.

Anything that was left of Hero's Duty had been replaced by the virus coding.

He only saw Calhoun as a threat, as an enemy. As data to collect for his hive and the master.

"SARGE!" crackled the com.

"Uuurgh, I'mma lil busy at tha moment here, Mouse. Care ta leave a message?"

"Sarge, we lost three! Possibly more!" said Mouse "Get outta there! It's too dangerous!"

"HEEEELP!"

"Um, yeah. I KINDA figured that out a second ago, Mousey! But thanks for the update!"

The woman knew what she had to do. It was the worst thing she could do at the moment but if she wanted to get out alive, if she wanted to return Vanellope home safe.

She growled, shutting her eyes tight, trying her best to stay focused.

"CON-CON-CON-CONSUME!" glitched the soldier "CON-CON-CON-CONSUUUUUUME!"

Calhoun shut her eyes, her chest feeling tight.

"Aaaaaaw, BLAST IT ALL!"

KA-BLAM!

In one huge blast, a hole was shot through the infected Marine's chest, the figure braying out in agony as the antiviral shot coursed its way through his veins. Vanellope huddled, shutting her eyes but Calhoun watched. She was FORCED to watch.

In seconds, the anti-viral shot did its work, eating away every bit and pixel of the marine until only smoking bits of data remained. The viruses that were around the area hid and cowered in fear, watching one of their own fade into dust. Beaten and bloodied, Calhoun watched as one of her own became lost to the battle.

A REAL battle.

There was no respawn from this.

Calhoun panted, looking down at the dark shadow that was once her colleague. Her hands were shaking and her knees quaked.

This couldn't have been real. This couldn't have actually happened. It had to be some sort of programming, like her own.

He couldn't have been erased, could he?

"_D-damn it."_

A soft hissing could be heard around, Calhoun gasping as she looked up.

Viruses. Viruses EVERYWHERE.

Vanellope shivered in her place, hands held to her face "C-C-Calhoun?"

The woman got on her feet and backed towards the girl "Stay still…."

The racer nodded.

The marine took her hand "Stay quiet."

The viruses were angry, they were enraged.

They were HUNGRY.

"AN' RUN!"

Moving as fast as light, the marine scooped Vanellope into her arms and took off, the barrage of viruses behind her. They tore after the two, ready to avenge their fallen brethren but Calhoun was not going to let that happen!

"Ya guys have eaten enough!" growled the marine "Now CHOKE ON THIS!"

Reaching for her belt once more, Calhoun began to throw every anti-viral bomb that she had, the small things exploding this way and that but it could only do so much damage. A few viruses were taken out but there were just too many in the swarm and the more Calhoun ran, the more she felt like their numbers were increasing.

"MOUSE!" the woman roared into her com.

"Yes, Sargent?"

"Get the ship ready! We're about ta head out!"

"LOOK OUT!" Vanellope screeched, pointing upwards but once more the viruses proved much too quick for the marine.

"AAAAA-!"

In a shout and a crash, another virus landed upon Calhoun, causing her to fall and drop Vanellope from her hold. She rolled painfully on the ground but upon coming to a stop, she realized that her hands were empty.

"VANELLOPE!"

The racer lay unresponsive on the ground, viruses surrounding her and ready to tear into this new form of meat that lay before them.

"NO! NO I am NOT havin' this happen again!"

The guns were out, the guns were blazing.

"JUST DIE ALREADY YA PILES OF SCUM!"

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

One round after another, viruses were blown away. With enough cleared, Calhoun forced herself back on her feet and with Vanellope in tow hobbled away as fast as she could. They could see the ship, they were so close to freedom!

"Guys!" called Mouse "Keep the hatch open!"

"GO!" waved Calhoun.

"What?!"

"Start rollin'!" the marine called back "Ya need a runnin' start!"

"Harris, FLOOR IT!" Markowski called towards the pilot "Set this baby ta tha max!"

Harris scowled as he felt the blood pumping in his veins "Don't need ta tell me twice!"

The craft began to go faster and faster, Calhoun smiling.

"Good guys…." She thought, her good leg still going "So kid, are ya ready?"

"For w-what?" asked the Vanellope, looking more frightened than ever.

Calhoun prepared her largest gun.

"One."

"C-Calhoun?"

"Two!"

The device hummed and charged.

"Calhoun?!"

"THREE!"

In one PERFECTLY planned move, Calhoun shot her gun off towards the still marauding viruses but the power and force of the thing was so great that not only did it take care of a few more of the beasties but it was just enough to PROPEL both she and Vanellope into the waiting doorway of the craft! Vanellope and screamed, not knowing what to expect next but before she knew it-!

"OOF!"

She and Calhoun had their landing cushioned by the awaiting Markowski, Mouse shutting the door behind him.

"CLEAR!"

Mouse slammed a button to the side of her, more guns popping up from the side of the flying craft and shooting away at the viruses who still wanted a taste pixels.

"Ya got tha kid back!" Markowski smiled gleefully "Is she okay? Are YOU o-!"

"Not now!" barked Calhoun as she handed the child over to her now befuddled solider, hobbling over to the control panel "Those bad boys are gonna follow us to tha end so we gotta get ready!"

"Containment blast?" Mouse nodded.

"Containment blast!" Calhoun echoed "Charge that baby up an' fire it at my orders!"

"Right!" said Mouse as she darted back to her chair. She put her headphones back one as she called up the other marines "Smith and Jones! Smith and Jones! This is Cadet Orzela! Do you read me?"

"Read ya loud an' clear!" said Smith "What's goin' on?"

"We found tha kid an' we're ready ta come back in!"

The crowd felt as if their hearts had leaped out of their chest. Ralph had never looked so excited in his life.

"Th-they found her?!"

"THEY FOUND HER!" cheered Felix, the man hopping down like a rabbit "Oh, I knew my Tammy could do it!"

"What do we need to do?" asked Jones.

"Clear everyone away from the opening!" Mouse said "We're going to do a Containment Blast so no one should be near it!"

"Roger!" said Smith, then turning to the crowd "Okay, back it up people!"

"But wait-!" begged Taffyta, running past the others "I wanna see-!"

"Kid, MOVE!" Ralph called out as he grabbed the strawberry race and tore off with her "Somethin' tell me things are gonna get a lot LOUDER here in a second!"

Indeed they were.

Inside the cord guns were blasting, viruses were screaming, and the craft was moving as fast as its engines could go!

"Sarge, I don't mean ta bring things down…." Mouse said, typing away at her control panel.

"Lay it on me, Mouse. What is it?"

"We only have ten percent left in power! We keep blastin' like this we're never gonna make it out!"

Vanellope meeped as she once again huddled in the corner but Calhoun wasn't going to give up. She still had to seal up the hole and keep the viruses from coming in but how?

Ding.

An idea.

"Turn off all artillery!"

"But Sargent!" protested Markowski "What about-?!"

"THAT'S AN ORDER! Turn it OFF!"

Mouse didn't want to see the rage if she disobeyed her commanding officer and did as she was told. The guns halted, the viruses sensing this in an instant and picking up pace.

"Oooookay." moaned Mouse "Now what?"

"Harris?"

"Yes, Sarge?"

"Go to level four speed!"

"But that's too sl-!"

"Follow my orders! NOW!"

Harris had no idea what was being planned for his team and himself but like Mouse, he did what he was told. He lowered the ship's power, the craft slowing down. Slowing down just enough for the viruses to suddenly leap upon it!

"GAH!"

"Oh NOOOO!" moaned Vanellope, looking as if she were on the edge of tears "Th-th-they sound like they're breakin' in!"

"Uh, Sarge. I don't mean ta sound like a downer, but tha kid MIGHT have a point on this."

All around, the marines could HEAR the scraping of claws and the cries of the monsters all around them. Their hearts were racing but in the middle of it all Calhoun stood firm and strong. She looked out towards the front window and through the deluge of cackling viruses she could make out the bright lights of Litwak's.

They were almost there.

"Steady as she goes, Harris. Steady."

"Right, ma'am!"

"Mouse."

"Y-Yes?"

"Ready the Containment Blast. We are firin' it on my orders."

"What?!" the woman cried in disbelief "At THIS speed?! Sargent, we'll be FRIED if we-!"

"Trust me on this!" Calhoun said as she turned towards the young cadet, her hands placed on her shoulders "TRUST ME. We're gonna get outta this."

Mouse's brain was going overtime with calculations on the possible outcomes of the blast if they were not at the correct speed but the look in Calhoun's face gave her a bit of hope. She felt nervous, worried but if Calhoun had a plan, then she had one. Mouse frowned, adjusting her goggles.

"Just give me tha signal!"

The Sargent gave a little smile, patting the young woman on her shoulder "Atta girl."

In the arcade, people could hear the moans and the brays of the oncoming viruses, their feet glued to the floor.

"What do ya think THAT is?" asked Ralph. Felix took another step back but he gripped his hammer.

What he wouldn't give for a Super Pie at that moment.

"J-Just keep your guard up, brother…." The repairman said as bravely as he could "We might hafta prepare ourselves for a few more GUEST."

Back with the marines, their craft continued to sail as best as it could but the added weight of the crazed virues began to slow them down.

"Saaaaarge?"Mouse said in worry.

"Just wait for my signal, wait for it….."

A terrible squeal of metal was heard from above, the crew looking up to see a disgusting clawed hand reaching in, trying feverishly to rip its way towards the tasty contents onboard. Again, Vanellope screamed as she shrank against the wall.

"M-MAKE IT GO AWAY!"

Calhoun had to stop for a moment, watching Vanellope's behavior. The kid must have really been shaken up from her encounter but she couldn't blame her.

_Still though…..something wasn't right._

"My turn!" Mouse said, aiming her gun and shooting the viruses out of the way "Awwww, MAN! Ya just don't know how GOOD that felt!"

"Okay, we're ready ta go!" Calhoun said "Mouse, start the countdown!"

"Ya don't need ta tell me twice." The cadet said as she readied the bomb "Ready to blow in five!"

"We're almost there, kid."

"Four!"

"I-I just want go home!"

"THREE!"

Calhoun held onto Vanellope, tightly and warmly.

"We're gonna get ya home."

"TWO!"

"_I promise…."_

"ONE!"

Click.

Everything felt as if it stopped.

Things went silent for a moment but then….a hum. A GROWING hum.

Lights, camera!

_**KA-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!**_

"Everyone hang on!" called Mouse, holding onto her control panel to the best of her strength.

Calhoun had played her favorite move, using the power and the energy of the Containment Bomb as a means of not only blowing the viruses off the ship but propelling them through the hole! The force was immense, everyone feeling the pressure and the pull as they went forward wildly. The ripple of the blast followed them but as it did so, it began to fry every virus in its path and caused any remaining data to build up into what was more or less a thick wall of blackened but strong data!

It was sealing up the path!

The light towards Litwak's got closer and closer, Calhoun waiting for the moment to make her final move!

"C-C-C-COME ON!"

Ralph could see and feel the rush of the oncoming craft, the man screaming.

"EVERYONE MOVE!"

The crowd followed suit and just then-!

CRASH!

The craft FLEW out of the hole just as it was closed by the data seal, the walls near the area covered by the black remains. The craft hit the ground hard, bumping a few times before screeching to a halt.

And then….

Nothing.

"A-Are they still alive?" asked Gene, clutching tightly onto Mary.

_**BANG!**_

The crowd gasped, moving back.

_**BANG!**_

Again, the door was kicked!

Was the crew still alive? Or did any wayward viruses manage to sneak aboard?

Ralph held his breath, his heart pounding.

_**BANG!**_

"Hooooooo, MAN!"

"TAMMY!"

Tammy indeed!

The marine, Vanellope in hand, stumbled out of the craft with her crew following. They were roughed up, they were bruised.

But they were ALIVE.

And most importantly, Vanellope had been returned!

"She's back!" cried Jubileena, tossing her hat into the air "VANELLOPE IS BACK!"

The Sugar Rush racers all cheered as they ran past the other soldiers, surrounding their president and crying out words of jubilation.

All except Taffyta that was.

Where was Taffyta? Taffyta had stayed in the back of the crowd, speechless as she looked about what was before her. Was she happy, was she scared?

All she knew was that she could not believe what she had just witnessed. The images were playing in her head over and over again; the moment of the crash to the moment Vanellope once again showed face in the arcade.

"_Is this real?_" the girl thought to herself.

_Please be real, please be real….._

"KID!" Ralph called out "Oh my PROGRAMMER'S, you're okay!"

"Y-yeah, I told ya she was gonna be just fine…." Calhoun smirked through the pain "G-Got her back safe n' sound."

"Tammy! Oh, Tammy-Baby!" Felix said as he ran towards his wife "L-look at ya! Covered in all these bites n' bruises! S-Sit down so I can-!"

"S-save it hun." The woman laughed as she put a finger on the hero's nose "R-right now, we have more important things to worry about."

The woman peered back, looking at the damage that had been done to her ship but she also remembered the soldiers that had been lost in the melee.

She had come in with so many but many were lost.

"Damn it." She cursed to herself "It wasn't supposed to go down like this."

"Tammy?"

Calhoun looked down, Felix peering up at her in worry.

"I-I need to talk to my commander." The woman hobbled painfully towards her game "An-an' get a med-pack for all this."

"But I can help ya right no-!"

"Sweetie, don't waste your energy on lil ol' me!" the woman smirked, though Felix was quick to see the weakness behind it "This gal can handle it! Ya know it!"

Calhoun was quite the one to brave through such an outing, especially considering how injured she was. Felix was on his toes in worry but he knew that his love wouldn't have it any other way. He gently took her hand, looking over at the scene of happiness before him.

"Y-yeah, okay. But please let me go with you…." He sighed, letting the taller woman lean on him for balance.

"Vanellope, we're so glad you're back!" said Snowanna.

"You're safe!" said Citrusella.

"We were so-so-so-so SOOOOOOOOO-_**OH**_ worried!" cried Candlehead.

"_G-guys."_ The battered president moaned _"W-where's Taffyta?"_

"Taffyta?" blinked the others.

_"I-I wanna see her….."_

Not too far away, the aforementioned racer felt a jolt shoot up her spine. Now all attention was focused on her, all eyes waiting her next move but as she looked forward….

"V-Vanellope?"

Vanellope.

She was hurt, she was weak.

She was reaching out for her.

Something within Taffyta clicked, seeing the girl in such condition almost making her fall to her knees, her stomach churning.

What had they done to her? WHO could have done this to her?

"I-I'm here!" the girl cried out as she ran towards the raven-haired racer "I-I'm right here!"

Taffyta almost SLAMMED into Vanellope but stopped an inch short, remembering that she was in no condition to receive such 'welcoming'.

Perhaps a gentle smile would be better.

"A-are you okay?"

Vanellope smiled weakly, looking as if she were drifting off "N-Now that I know YOU'RE here with everyone."

This was beyond anything that Taffyta could comprehend.

The way that Vanellope had said those words, as if she really meant that she wanted to see her.

Again, this had to be a dream.

But she didn't feel as if she were waking up.

Was it real?

It was.

A few others behind the racers were just as stupefied as Taffyta.

"_Of all tha people Vanellope wanted ta see…."_ Whispered one _"It's HER?"_

"_Maybe she is DELUSIONAL._"

On any other day, those words would have hurt Taffyta, they would have angered her to the bone but this time? This time she was too happy to even hear them. She was just glad that Vanellope was back.

"Well, that's one part of the problem solved…." Said Mouse as she helped Markowski out of the craft.

"An' tha other is?"

"Just who came in here ta cause all this trouble in the first place…" nodded the woman "We got Vanellope back an' the arcade sealed back from any viruses but who knows if the REAL culprit is on tha lose."

"Ya mean ya don't think it was an inside job?' asked the hulking soldier.

"I don't care what anyone says about it. There is no way this was done by anyone of us here."

"Then…WHO?"

Mouse cracked her neck, trying to pop her joints back into place "That's what I wanna find out, Marky. That is EXACTLY what I'm gonna find out…."

There was so much happiness in the arcade that night, people gathered around to see the moment when Vanellope, once lost, was returned to her rightful place in Sugar Rush. They also felt that with the hole sealed, they could no longer fear would could be lurking for them outside.

Hero's Duty had sealed it, they could protect them.

Things could only get better from there. They could only get better.


	12. Chapter 12- Sweet Return

Chapter Twelve – Sweet Return

Sugar Rush had never been so busy on the day of Vanellope's return. Reporters from every game were flocking the scene, rushing and running to every corner to gather answers to the most wanted question of the moment.

What exactly had happened to Vanellope?

"How exactly did those viruses get to her?!" asked someone.

"How far into the cords did they take her?!" asked the next.

"Was there another plan?! Was someone hired to kidnap the President?!"

"Back it up, BACK IT UP!" shouted Duncan, trying his best to keep the crowd at bay "Really guys, we got a sick kid here an' you're tryin' ta take pictures? Don'tcha have a grain of decency in ya?!"

"But we wanna know!" shouted one of the reporters "We wanna now who took Vanellope Von Schweetz!"

"Took her?" said Wynchell "We're still just as confused as everyone else on that matter!"

"But you HAVE to know something!" cried a reporter "WAS IT ONE OF THE RACERS?!"

The first doughnut cop looked aghast, his glasses going up "W-What?! We don't know!"

"So it's a cover up?!"

"No!"

"Is there an inside job goin' on?! I bet that Muttonfudge kid-!"

"_**EY."**_

A strong, gruff voice shook the halls of the palace, the reporters going silent, their cameras lowered.

Ralph.

It was about time he showed up.

"I can tell ya guys are excited. We all are…." The Wrecker growled as he eyed the bunch below him "But this ain't tha time nor tha place. Let tha kid rest, OKAY?"

The glare that the man was giving the smaller characters was enough to send anyone running. Nothing else was required to be said as the message had been given.

It was time to leave.

The candy citizens watched as the reporters filed their way out of the game, breathing a sigh of relief that some peace was heading their way. Worrying about viruses taking the beloved leader of the game was bad enough, the last thing they needed were reporters hovering over them, shoving cameras in their eyes, hounding them with questions left and right.

Everyone just wanted to recover. Everyone just wanted to comprehend what had taken place.

"Gaaaah." Ralph moaned, rubbing his aching head "They've been at this for HOURS!"

"Well, excitement draws people in." sighed Felix, walking alongside his friend "If I could do anythin' 'bout this, I-!"

"Ah-bah-bah! Don't stress yourself over this." Smirked Ralph "Ya've already done enough, what with helpin' the HD crew recover an'all. Keep this up an' you'l be just as tired as Vanellope."

"How is she?" the repairman asked in worry, wringing his hands "I only got a glance of her when she came back in so…."

"Tha doctors aren't lettin' me see her." Ralph said, grief on his face "I…I can't do anythin' 'bout it, no matter what I say or do! I keep askin' but it's always tha same thing. 'She's just fine, just fine. Come back later. Come back later'!"

The big man shook his head, a frustrated growl rumbling in his throat.

"I-! I can't do this anymore! I can't just wait for Vanellope when she needs me!"

"T-Take some of your own advice, Ralph." Felix gulped, giving his friend a reassuring pat on the back "W-We can't just bust in when things are lik-!"

Felix's words were cut off when the large doors of the throne room flew open suddenly. Felix, jumpy and quick as always, leapt out of the way just on time.

Ralph on the other hand?

_***BONK!***_

"_**OOOW!"**_

Ralph wasn't as fortunate, the hard candy doors giving him a good SMACK on the nose.

"Mr. Ralph? Mr. Felix?" called the droning voice of one Sour Bill, the tiny candy-man seemingly unconcerned that he had hit Ralph in the face.

The larger man of the two stood still, rubbing his now beet-red nose tenderly. He growled, rolling his eyes "You rang, sire?"

"I have good news for the both of you…" the candy-man said, his tone able to suck the joy out of anything he delivered.

"What? WHAT!?" Felix asked excitedly, hopping over to Bill and plucking him off the ground "I-i-is it about Vanellope?! Is she okay?!"

"G-G-G-GAH!" Bill cried as he was shaken something awful "SH-SH-SHE IS FINE! TH-TH-THAT IS THE REASON I CAME!"

"Whoa, put tha guy down before ya scramble his candy-fillin'!" Ralph said, taking Felix by the shoulder.

Doing as he was told, the repairman placed the candy-man on the ground but Bill wasn't stable just yet. He twirled on his feet, the entire room spinning before him.

"W-well?" Felix meeped, his hands clutched together "Wh-what's the news?"

Bill shook his head, finally able to clear his mind and find his balance "Ahem….the doctors have announced that Vanellope is stable and is able to see visitors again."

"OH, THANK THE PROGRAMMERS!" Felix cried in jubilation, the man hopping up and down like a flea.

"That's WONDERFUL!" Ralph said much more calmly, though inside his heart he was just as excited, if not more, than Felix "Ya have no idea how great it is ta hear that tha kid is okay!"

"She can tell you more than that…." Said Bill, ushering the two men down the hall "Because she wants to see the both of you."

Felix was going misty eyed, his lips quivering in a smile "Oh gracious. Bless that kid's heart…."

"C'mon, Felix…" Ralph chuckled, picking the man up and carrying him down the falls "You're gonna flood tha place with tha way you're goin'."

It didn't take long for the trio to make their way to the hospital, Ralph and Felix moving carefully around the busy area and Bill leading the way. As expected, the place was busy and buzzing with candy doctors and nurses who filed in and out of the royal hospital room but as Wrecker and Repairman made their way through, the crowds began to scatter, taking one look at the men and darting off in the opposite direction.

"Golly, what's goin' on?" asked Felix.

Ralph nervously made his way towards the dark room, ducking his head under the doorway.

"_N-Nelly?"_

There was so much machinery, so many beeps and blips. Ralph's heart began to race as he looked about the room, his glance coming to a stop once he saw Vanellope lying in the bed, looking so weak, looking so tired.

He couldn't hold it in any longer. It was just too much.

"V-Vanellope!" he sobbed, breaking down as he rushed to the girl but he stopped, remembering that in his emotional state and with his strength, he could have done more harm than good to her should he take her into his arms. He halted an inch before the girl, his hands shaking over her as he wanted to embrace her but he couldn't, he just couldn't. All he could do was look and sob, look and sob at the state his friend had found herself in.

"_O-Oh programmers…."_

Felix remained at the door, his feet feeling as if they were glued to the floor as he watched his friend break down in such a manner. He then took a look at his hammer; in any other chance, he could have been able to heal someone, he would have been able to help Vanellope in no time but he knew he couldn't. He couldn't even come near her with his hammer, less it causes her internal code to become even more damaged.

What help was he at that moment? No help. No help at all.

"_O-Oh my land."_

Ralph knelt next to the girl, his cries soft as his face was buried in his arm but he didn't see her. He didn't see her turning towards him, a little hand placed on top of his head.

"_O-Oh, stop it."_

The big man jolted, looking up and seeing the girl grinning at him. She was trying to play tough, trying to play as she always did with him but he could see the pain in her eyes.

But despite that she still wanted to make him happy.

"K-Kid, you're-!"

_"Y-Yeah…."_ The girl panted _"I-I'm okay…Kinda."_

With her good arm, Vanellope tried to pull the cover over her, shivering.

"Gobs, you'd think that if th-these guys wanted me ta get better, they'd put some warmer blankets on me. I-I think I'm gonna get a cold after this!"

"J-Just as snarky as ever?" Ralph laughed, rubbing a tear away "B-But I'm just glad you're okay!"

"Heh. N-No one is gonna take Vanellope Von Schweetz out." The girl smile "N-No stinky virus or nothin'!"

"Vanellope…."

The girl turned over, seeing the worry in Ralph's eyes.

"Ya just don't know how happy I am ta see ya. We…we were all so worried about ya!"

"I-I knew ya guys wouldn't give up on me…I knew none of ya would."

The little racer looked over towards the window, her view obstructed but she could see the bright sun shining in the turquoise sky.

"How are tha guys?"

"Tha guys?" blinked Ralph.

"Taffyta, Candlehead. Tha others…." Vanellope sighed "Are they okay?"

"They're great." Ralph nodded "Th-they were goin' everywhere! Doin' everythin' ta keep tha search up! They even took care of tha game while ya were gone!"

"Figures…." The girl smiled "I-I knew they'd take care of things."

Ralph felt a little jump in his heart. He was still so surprised at how confident Vanellope was towards the other racers, especially with the way things had been between them years before.

"Y-Yeah! They made sure tha races were organized, that-! That-!"

The big man stopped, shaking his head.

"Vanellope, they took care'a everything. They were just so worried 'bout ya….I think they were even more worried than ME!"

Ralph could see the girl smiling again, her tiny hand squeezing his large fingers.

"_That's why I love 'em."_

Felix made a little move from the door, looking over.

Had he heard the girl correctly?

The girl struggled to get up, Ralph putting his hands up worryingly.

"Vanellope! Don't stress yourself-!"

"Uungh, I hafta get up!"

"But you're still hurt!"

The girl wasn't stopping, shaking her head "Just bruises. Just bites! I can't-! I can't sit here for long!"

"L-Look, I can understand if you're excited, if you're worried….if you're all those things combined an' more!" said Ralph "But ya still need time ta relax an' heal! We still don't know if that virus did anythin' else ta ya!"

"Then give me a day, Ralph." The girl sighed, lying back in the bed "But some boo-boos ain't gonna keep Princess Vanellope Von Schweetz down. I gotta get back on tha track. I owe tha guys that much after all tha things they did while I was missin'."

Both Wrecker and Repairman knew there was nothing they could do to fight the girl; her heart was set and she was going to make sure she was driving by the next sunrise. As much as he wanted to stop her, Ralph felt that doing so would only hinder the racer, only make her more upset than she already was.

If he wanted to help her, he had to help her get back to the place she loved the most; the track.

"Give it a day or two…." Said Ralph "An' then we'll get ya back rollin'."

Vanellope smiled, looking upon both her friends "Th-thanks, guys. Thank ya so much…."

"Excuse me."

The two men looked down, seeing a little candy doctor peering up at them.

"You do two do not mind…." The candy-woman said "Vanellope needs her rest. You guys are planning on getting her out? Then let her get some sleep and build up her strength first."

"Yes, ma'am…." Ralph smiled, bowing in a gentlemanly manner "We'll get outta your hair."

"Please, please take care of her." Felix said, his cheeks aglow and his eyes filled with worry.

"Don't worry, Mr. Fix-It. This isn't an HMO." The doctor replied with a grin, not noticing the look of dread coming on Felix's face "She'll be brighter than a new candy once everything is taken care of!"

"Are ya sure?"

"Certain as sugar." Nodded the doctor "Now, I would advise that YOU two get going yourselves. Don't think that I HAVEN'T been observing you two from afar. Keep going the way you have and you'll be in the hospital next. Go home, relax!"

"But-!"

"Please, you need it!" the doctor said "Now, go! Go!"

A few other words were exchanged before the two men made their way out of the hospital. While some spirits were lifted after the meeting, neither could brush off all their concern. Vanellope was fine, she was alive and it seemed that the virus had not caused as much damaged as they feared.

But she wanted to get back on the track so soon? She wanted to drive again? Not hours after she had brought in?

Vanellope was a trooper but there was a thing as taking in too much too soon.

"Ya okay?"

Ralph looked down at Felix, rubbing the back of his head "I-I guess I am. Why ya ask?"

"That look…" said Felix "That look you're givin' me. Somethin' is botherin' ya Ralphie-Boy."

"I'm still shakin' after all of this…" the Wrecker said "I mean…I almost lost Vanellope. I almost lost her AGAIN. But this time? This time I COULDN'T do anythin'. I COULDN'T just go in an' help an' I still feel like I can't!"

"Believe it or not, I know how ya feel…" said Felix, Ralph looking down at him again "I…I want ta do more but I know there are limits to what I can do, limits that if I go past I could hurt her."

Felix thought back to that moment, that moment of seeing Vanellope in the hospital bed. Now Ralph was the one who saw the worry on someone else's face.

"Don't think like that, Felix."

"I-I can't-!" the Repairman blurted out, hands on his head "I-I could only stand there an' be usel-!"

"Felix, it's okay!" Ralph shouted, stopping the man in his tracks "M-Maybe that doctor was right. W-We need to focus. We can't go about actin' like this!"

'R-Right. I mean, after all….Vanellope is the President of this place, right? Sh-She can take care of herself."

Right.

She could, couldn't she?

Ralph felt a little more relaxed but as he repeated Felix's words to himself, something stopped him.

PRESIDENT.

PRESIDENT?

PRINCESS?

Did Vanellope say _**PRESIDENT?**_

Or had she said _**PRINCESS?**_

The hair on Ralph's neck began to stand on end, a shock crawling up his spine.

"Ralph?"

Had she said _**PRESIDENT**_ or _**PRINCESS?**_

PRESIDENT or PRINCESS?

"Ralph, you're still with me right?"

"O-oh! Right!" the Wrecker laughed nervously "Hubla-bluh! I guess I do need a nap or somethin'!"

"Good, then let's get home…." Felix nodded in agreement, making his way towards the rainbow bridge,

Back in the hospital, Vanellope wrapped herself in the blankets. She took in the warmth they brought her.

"_There, that's better."_

The sun began to set slowly behind her, night falling on Sugar Rush once more. She could hear the distant roars of engines, the other racers performing their daily duties of the random roster race.

"_It's such a sweet sound…."_ Said the girl, her lips curling and her hands gripping the covers even tighter _"I cannot wait to get down there. To smell the smoke, to feel the rush."_

"Ms. Von Schweetz?"

The girl turned, seeing a candy-nurse looking up at her from the floor.

"If the sound is too much, we can move you to a different room…."

"No, no…" smiled the vanilla racer "I like it. I enjoy hearin' it."

"Are you certain?"

"Yes." The girl sighed "It only makes me want to get out of bed faster."


	13. Chapter 13- Recollection

Chapter Thirteen – Recollection

"Do ya think she's gonna be here?" asked Sticky in worry "I-I heard that she was pretty banged up when she got back. I-Is racing like this a good idea?"

"C'mon, Stix!" smiled Minty "Vanellope has some gumph ta her! I betcha she's been ACHIN' ta get back on tha track."

"Hold on, Mintz." Swizz smiled wide "You're talkin' as if she has some super-powered mutant. Ya know, like _**YOU!**_"

"Oh, Mis-TAH Malarkey!" The mint-themed racer smiled, taking the boy by his collar before tossing him towards a nearby tree "Ya really know how ta charm a girl!"

"_**MINTY ZAAAAKIIIII-!"**_

*Crash*

"I HOPE she comes back." Said Rancis "Maybe then she can stop all these rubberneckers from flooding the track. They've done nothing but hinder my performance, they have!"

"Rancy, how could ya say such a thing?!" gasped Candlehead "It sounds more like ya just want Nelly ta kick people out, not that ya want her ta be okay!"

"Hey, don't accuse me of something so foul!" said the boy, a scowl on his face "I am as concerned about Vanellope as the rest of you but…but she is the only one that people seem to listen to now. You are aware how they treated us during the investigation, are you not?"

"Puh, like it's gonna make a difference." Snorted Gloyd, the boy flipping his hair out of his eyes "Ya saw what power she had before she got kidnapped. Do ya really think things are gonna change once she gets back?"

"Gloyd, just have some faith…" said Citrusella, shaking her head "Vanellope has been through a lot. We have no right to ask her to do so many things right after her recovery."

"Ya say that now, Cissy." The pumpkin-racer growled, eyeing her "But when tha crowds start pilin' up again, when they start throwin' stuff at us, when they try ta pin this whole thing on us? Will ya keep that same tone, huh?"

Citrusella felt a little cornered by the racer, her cheeks blushing "I-I have to keep my chin up! These are tough times!"

"BULL-DONKEY!" shouted the angry Gloyd "Tellin' me ta keep my chin up….someone is gonna end up with my fist under their chin if they don't leave us-!"

"Gloyd, STOP!" shouted Jubileena, highly upset with how he was approaching her twin "Don't cha see what you're doin'?! You're playin' right into their hands by fightin' with everyone!"

"Who says that I'm fightin', Bing-O?!" growled the boy, marching up to the girl.

"I DO!" retorted the red-headed racer, standing her ground. Jubileena RARELY showed such anger but when she did, everyone knew that things were turning sour.

"Guys, stop!" shouted Candlehead, feeling more and more upset D-Don't fight! Don't-!"

_***FWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!***_

The children turned, seeing a figure in pink standing before them.

"Taff?"

"An' a good mornin' to you guys as well." The racer snorted, looking at her friends "Guess I missed something or-?"

"It's nothing, Taffyta." Said Swizzle as he finally made his return from his journey down the tree, brushing a few leaves out of his hair "Just….just a little tiff before the races I guess."

"A tiff?" the girl said as she looked around "I would have to say an all-out brawl!"

"Don't blame ME for it!" growled Gloyd, pointing to himself "S'not my fault that I seem ta be tha only one who cares about what is goin' on in this stupid game!"

"Gloyd, that is not true!" shouted Candlehead, sounding surprisingly gruff towards the boy "We all care! YOU'RE tha only one who's bein' a grump about it!"

Gloyd's cheeks blushed an even brighter shade of orange "I am NOT a grump! I'm just tired of everyone gettin' on us for every lil thing that happens here now! They didn't care before when King Candy was here but all of sudden they CARE?!"

The boy the turned to Taffyta, his eyes narrowing.

"Back me up on thi Taff! Ya know what I'm talkin' about!"

The girl felt cornered, the lot of racers feeling as if they were moving closer and closer towards her, her body inching towards the wall. Of course she knew what Gloyd was talking about and she had to wonder if her anger towards the situation was even greater than what he was displaying.

But she knew better than that. She knew better than to display such a wave of emotions because it WOULD give people what they wanted. It WOULD give them the proof they so hungered for to continue the idea that the racers were all so envious of Vanellope, that they all wanted her gone.

During the President's days missing, the entire group had heard the rumors. They had heard the whispers, the gossip. They had hoped that the moment Vanellope had returned that the rumors would stop, that the lips would cease moving but to their dismay they had not. If anything, stories were being spun into even more ridiculous tales. They heard it all.

TAFFYTA heard it all.

But in her mind, she had to keep cool. She had to show everyone that they were wrong, that she wasn't the picture they painted her out to be. She could do it, she knew she could do it.

_Then why did it hurt so much?_

"Guys….."

Eyes bored into the strawberry racer, awaiting for her response.

"Vanellope is back." The racer said "That's all that should matter."

The pumpkin racer took a step back, surprised by his friend's calm response. This couldn't be Taffyta Muttonfudge!

"Taff?"

"Ya know what we should do?" said Taffyta "We should get the track ready for her."

"Her?"

Taffyta shot her fiends a little annoyed glance "Vanellope of course!"

"O-Oh right!"

"The hospital was busy today and I couldn't get a foot in…" the girl continued "But I know Nelly. I know she's gonna be here soon so I want this place up an' runnin'! Got that?!"

"Whoa, what's gotten your tights in a twist?" said Minty with a little snort, tapping her feet on the ground.

"I'm not joking, Minty!" shouted Taffyta, her cheeks reddening "This place is gonna be spotless when she gets back so-!"

"Guys! WHOA!" came a voice from the entrance of the garage "I know everyone is excited ta see me but-!"

All eyes went to the figure in turquoise, not a word spoken but then….

"VANELLOPE!"

It was Vanellope all right, the girl standing tall and proud at the garage door.

"Who else?"

"Oh, VANELLOPE!" cried Candlehead as she stepped over the others and bounded towards the vanilla racer, wrapping her in a tight hug "OOOOH, ya don't know how worried we all were!"

"_Urrf! Th-that's a lil tight! Need air!"_

Candlehead wasn't the only one who ran in for questions, the entire group of kids moving closer and closer to the President, wanting their chance to get their hugs and welcomes in.

"Guys, you're gonna crush her!" Taffyta cried out in worry, pulling one or two of her friends back "Didn't ya see the bandages still on her?!"

"Urgh, I got it Taff!" the vanilla racer smirked through the crush "I just-! OW."

_**"GUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUYS!"**_

Everyone turned, seeing Taffyta standing before them, looking exhausted.

"Guys. Give her some breathing room!"

Once things that calmed down, the racers sat back, ready to hear what their leader had to say.

"Are ya sure this is a good idea?" asked Citrusella worryingly.

"There is gonna be a lotta stress durin' tha first run!" said Minty.

"I-It might be a bit bumpy…." Meeped Adorabeezle.

"I think I can handle a few twist n' turns…" chuckled Vanellope "I mean, after everything I went through with that virus, I think I can handle ANYTHING!"

"W-was it REALLY SCARY?" Candlehead asked, Taffyta giving the girl a light shoved.

_"C-Butt! Don't ask that so soon!"_

"No, no it's fine Taff." smiled Vanellope "I-I actually feel a bit better talkin' 'bout it. Keepin' it in actually hurts more than ya think."

Taffyta was a little stunned by how Vanellope had looked when she confessed. It was so humbling to see the racer drop the smirk that often graced her face to something much softer, something much more open.

Taffyta didn't know how to feel when she saw that look.

"I still can't believe I was taken so quickly…." Vanellope continued, her head held down from the others "I…I was just in the castle, looking for Taffyta…."

Taffyta was praying to all the programmers that no one saw her blushing in that moment.

"U-Um, I have to check on something real quick…" the girl lied, moving over towards the tool table with her back turned towards the others.

"I-It was so creepy!" Vanellope continued "I was callin' out Taffyta's name, callin' for her! When I felt the presence of….of that THING behind me! I turned, hopin' ta see Taff but-! But it was-!"

"The virus?" shivered Adorabeezle, Vanellope nodding a yes.

"Did ya get a good look at it?" said Snowanna, putting her hands on the trembling shoulders of the smallest racer "I-I mean? None of us have never seen a virus up close, so-?"

"I-I couldn't see it that well. When it got me, all I remember was everythin' goin' dark. It was cold, so cold an' I felt like I was floatin'."

The racers moved closer, getting drawn further and further into the story.

"Floating?" asked Rancis.

"Y-yeah! When I woke up, I was in the cords an' there were so many of those guys around! Th-they looked WORSE than Cybugs! Worse than CANDYBUG!"

"WORSE than CANDYBUG?!" said Gloyd, a bead of sweat on his forehead. He then collected himself, crossing his legs as he sat "I-I mean-! I can't believe there's somethin' in this dump that could beat tha ugly off of Candy-Fart."

"I'm not kiddin', Gloyd!" Said Vanellope "Th-there were so many of 'em! I-I could hear 'em, scratchin' around in tha dark. Reachin' out for me!"

Though she was standing some distance away from the others, Taffyta turned her head to catch a glance of Vanellope.

She was shaking.

She was scared.

The strawberry racer hadn't seen Vanellope showing such looks of fear ever since….

Ever since….

Back then. Back then when Taffyta was just a-

No. She couldn't think of that word again. She didn't want to say that word!

"_But tha one that took me…."_ Vanellope continued _"Tha one that came here in the night….."_

The vanilla racer gripped her arms, trying her best to halt her shivering, the others seeing her cheeks fade.

"It….it said something. It said something about how it had always been watching us. How it had always been creeping."

"W-What do ya mean?" asked Swizzle, gulping.

Yes, what DID Vanellope mean?

"It knew about Turbo. It knew about Ralph. It knew about the others." Vanellope mumbled "It kept whispering. It kept saying how I was the first….."

"Th-tha first of what?" squeaked Candlehead.

"I-I don't know…." Said Vanellope "Tha last that I saw of it, Calhoun's crew destroyed it! B-But I still can't shake what it told me! What happened while I was gone!"

"Oh my gobs…." Said Sakura "I could not even IMAGINE any of that! I don't think I've had nightmares as creepy as anything you've just described!"

"But tha whole time?" said Vanellope "Tha whole time I was trapped in tha cords?"

The others looked over, their breaths held for what Vanellope was going to say next.

"Tha only thing I could think about was you guys."

"R-Really?"

Everyone turned, looking at Taffyta as she stood before the others, her words cutting in so suddenly.

"I-I mean-!"

"Yes." Nodded the vanilla racer "I was thinkin' about ya guys. A-All of this started because I wanted ta have fun with ya, ta have a party but again when I try ta do somethin' it blows up in my face!"

Taffyta could see small tears rolling down her friend's cheek; why in the arcade was Vanellope crying?

"Nelly?"

"A-Am I that much of a jinx?" the girl asked, sniffling "D-Do I bring bad luck to anyone close ta me?"

"Wh-!? Why in tha arcade would ya ask somethin' like that?!"

_**"BECAUSE IT HAPPENED BEFORE!"**_ blurted Vanellope, standing up and slamming her foot on the ground _**"TURBO! TURBO CAME BECAUSE OF ME!"**_

"You?!"

"Yes, **ME!**" said the girl, the sadness replaced by a frown "Th-think about it for a second guys! T-Turbo came in and took MY place! My place because I RULED this game! H-Had I not been princess, he wouldn't have cared! He wouldn't have come in an' he wouldn't have mind wiped all of-!"

"Vanellope, stop!" Taffyta said "Why are ya blamin' yourself for all of this!? It wasn't your fault!"

"Because I know I could have done somethin'!" the girl sniffed "I talk all good 'bout how I'm the Princess of this game but what kinda Princess can't even protect her own people?! I couldn't protect ya guys against Turbo-!"

"But we had no idea that-!"

"An' I almost got ya in trouble thanks ta that virus! All because I let my guard down!"

Taffyta did not know what to say to comfort her friend, her own guilt keeping her from doing so. It was something to hear Vanellope taking all the blame for both Turbo and the virus off of the racers and putting it on herself and while it was something that Taffyta had WANTED to happen, something that the girl wished the other residence of the arcade were around to hear….

It just didn't feel right.

This wasn't right. This wasn't right at all.

Taffyta wanted more than anything for her name, along with the other racers, to be cleared. She wanted anything to get people to stop blaming her for the rule of Turbo in Sugar Rush.

This wasn't what she wanted. She never wanted Vanellope to cry because of it. Maybe because she knew deep down that Vanellope wasn't to blame either. None of the racers knew of the exact moment Turbo had made his move and the same was true for the virus.

But someone wanted someone to blame, someone wanted a culprit to be found and punished.

Vanellope was punishing herself though. She was punishing herself and the others could not believe it.

_"V-Vanellope?"_

The girl did not answer, her face buried in her hands as the tears continued to flow.

"Vanellope."

_Say something, Taffyta! Say something!_

"Nelly….we're just glad you're back."

The raven-haired racer looked up, Taffyta peering down at her "H-Huh?"

"W-we just want the old Vanellope back." Said the other girl "W-We just wanna race with ya again."

"Taffyta?"

"While you were gone, people DID come in here. They did blame us for a lotta things but we tried our best to make sure the game wasn't turned upside down because of them. We didn't want things to look horrible when you got back."

The strawberry racer looked away for a moment, her knees shaking.

"C-Can we just race again, Vanellope? That's all we've ever wanted to do."

"Th-tha's all I'VE ever wanted to do…." Smiled Vanellope, wiping her eye "S-So let's do it!"

A great pulse of energy was felt between the two girls, Taffyta feeling a little better.

"Y-Yeah! Yeah!" she cheered "L-Let's show everyone that no one is takin' Sugar Rush down!"

The others looked on, finding it weird how both girls were acting but if Vanellope was happy, if Vanellope felt good…

"Time for a race?" said Rancis.

Why question it?

"Time for a race!" nodded Swizz.

* * *

"_**LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADIES AND GENTLEMEN!**_" the announcer called, the stands filled with characters from near and far _**"LET US PUT OUR HANDS TOGETHER FOR THE RETURN OF VANELLOPE VON SCHWEETZ!"**_

The stands were abuzz with excitement and energy as Vanellope made her way to the starting line. She waved and hopped about, glitching to the top of her car.

"Thank you! THANK YOU, EVERYONE!"

"Well, guess things are gonna go back to the way they were…." Said Taffyta, looking over towards the others "But that's what we wanted, right?"

"Of course." Nodded Crumbelina "To have our home return to normal, to race once more. That is all we have wanted all these years."

Taffyta smirked, putting her helmet on "Then c'mon. We have a roster race ahead of us!"

The other racers gathered at the pavement as their names were called, such a wonderful feeling. It was so wonderful to get back into the motions of the game, to race as they had all be programed and were destined to do. Taffyta looked over, looking at Vanellope as she got herself ready.

"_Heh, welcome back."_

Engines roared, smoke billowed, the excitement only grew!

Three!

Two!

One!

_**GO!**_

"_**AND THEY'RE OFF!**_" cried the announcer, the racers blasting off at top speeds "Hang on to your hats, this looks like it's the start of a BEEE-U-TIFUL race!"


	14. Chapter 14- Off Target

Chapter Fourteen – Off Target

Suffice to say, people were flocking to Sugar Rush more and more with Vanellope's return. If the crowds were thick when the game was RESET, the little group of racers had never seen such a crowd! More and more people were piling in and more and more, the kids had to keep up with them.

The arcade wanted races and the Candy Racers HAD to deliver them. They couldn't let up, they couldn't slack off otherwise….

Otherwise who knew what could rise up from THOSE rumors?

Vanellope on the other hand?

"_**WHOO-HOOOOOO!"**_

Vanellope was having the time of her life. The moment she stepped back onto the track she would not stop. The energy did not stop, the energy just kept coming. She BLEW past the others time and time again, the crowds cheering, the crowds screaming with every win she snatched up!

It was like this for days but the other racers kept pushing.

They had to.

They HAD to keep going.

A week had passed since Vanellope returned and as soon as the arcade doors shut….

"Oh, GOBS!"

The other racers fell out, completely exhausted and much too sore to get back into their karts.

"Is it the weekend yet?" moaned Swizz

"J-Just two more days till Sunday." Huffed Rancis "T-Two more days."

"I don't think I can last that long!" Sakura said, fanning herself "Forget regenerations! I can't come back after all of this."

"C-C'mon guys…." Said Taffyta, pushing her worn kart into the garage for repair "Ya know we can't slack off, not with all these people looking about."

"Lookin' about for WHAT?" growled Gloyd, stretching his tired arms "For us ta get knocked out again? Seems ta me that more people are comin' not ta look at tha races, but ta see _**US**_ lose. Over an' over an' OVER-!"

"Okay, I get it Gloyd!" Taffyta shouted, her head hurting "Don't act like you're the only one who's annoyed by it!"

"M'just sayin' that it's not like ya ta keep so bottled up 'bout all of this." The pumpkin racer said, his brow arching "What happened ta tha Taff we used ta know?"

"HMM?"

"Tha Taff that would make your skin crawl if ya so much as insulted her kart in any way, shape, or form? Ya know, tha one that used ta kick my butt when-!"

"That Taffyta is GONE." The strawberry race growled "She wasn't any good so why mention her?"

"Either way, it's not like ya ta stand back an' not say anythin' about what is goin' on."

"What is there to say?" the girl said, taking off her hat, trying hard to smooth out the curls that were springing up at the end of her hair "Vanellope is back, she's happy, that is all that matters."

That's all that matters?

"Taff, ya gotta be kiddin' me!" said Minty "After tha way you've been thrown about this week? Tha way Vanellope's been bashin' tha back of your kart!" 

"Tha races are rough…." Taffyta said, not moving an inch "YOU are very much aware of that."

Minty scowled, knowing exactly what that job thrown towards her meant "'Ey now. I like ta put some SPICE inta my drivin' but not like what's been goin' on!"

"I can take it." Sniffed the strawberry racer arrogantly "Don't want people to think I'm just a pink wearin' cry-baby."

"A pink wearin' WHAT?"

_Yeah, cry Nothin-Fudge!_

_Cry-Baby!_

_Lil Turbo-Baby!_

SO many comments, so many jeers.

They were still happening, still pounding in her head.

But….

_C'Mon, Taff! Let's race!_

_See ya at the finish line!_

_One more time, for record's sake!_

Vanellope looked so happy, she looked so proud.

Even with the intensity that came with her return, Vanellope always had a hand out. A hand out and ready for Taffyta to take. Even if thing had gotten wild, even if things had gotten crazy Taffyta could not turn away. Time and time again, after she lost countless times, she kept coming back, she kept coming back to Vanellope.

Was it worth it? The little racer did not know. All she could feel was that she OWED it to Vanellope; she owed her this. After everything that she had done, after everything that she had led, who was to argue that Taffyta could use some 'roughing up'? There was no problem in it, right?

Despite standing on the sidelines, the others felt differently.

They might have been kids but they could tell that something was amiss, something with both Vanellope and Taffyta. And yet?

"You guys up for another round?"

_And yet?_

"I'm out this time. Didn't make the finish-line in time."

_And yet…._

"Does someone wanna trade with me? I'm too tired."

And yet they were all too tired, all too scared to really say anything. What would be said if the racers objected towards Vanellope, what would be said should they comment that they felt uncomfortable? Things would be said alright but having learned from experience, nothing helpful.

They were still scared, they were still scared of the retorts from the other arcade citizens, the ones who had surrounded themselves around Vanellope, who made it their duty to 'protect' her, protect her from bullies like THEM.

This was how things were now. Turbo was gone but this was the fate they all had to face. They were just going to have to make due.

"Hey guys!"

All turned, Vanellope standing before them with a grin on her face, waving a hand.

"We're waitin' for ya! Let's go!"

It was the same thing as always; the announcer gave his cry, the wheels would spin and the racers took off. It was the same; over and over again but this time it was much rougher, much more dangerous.

Vanellope was a demon behind the wheel since her return, swerving and speeding down the lanes in such a fashion the others were not used to from any driver. Even if she glitched, the glitch was paired with a devastating attack, one racer after another getting knocked beyond the boundaries of the course. So few could keep up but may tried, the crowds roaring louder and louder at the show.

They wanted this. They wanted to see Vanellope go after the racers in such a fashion. This was entertainment, this was what they craved.

But for the racers, the ones going through it?

"_**READY OR NOT! HERE I COME!"**_

A Glitch.

An attack.

Crash.

Boom.

"_**GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"**_

Torvald was sent off the track, her kart slamming into the guardrails and splitting in two.

Down, down, down the little racer went. Over the cliff and out of view, Vanellope driving on as if nothing had happened.

_**"HEY!"**_ roared Minty, horrified at what had happened to her sister. The mint racer had had enough, rushing towards Vanellope and giving her a blast from her Spear-A-Mint cannon "Fine! Ya wanna play it like this-?!"

"You're goin' overboard!" shouted Taffyta angrily, speeding up next to the two.

_**"OVERBOARD?! DID YA SEE WHAT SHE DID TA-?!"**_

_***GLITCH!***_

An escape!

Minty looked at the bright flash, Vanellope warping five spaces before her. The girl turned red, her blood boiling.

"I have had enough of this!"

Minty speed off, leaving Taffyta in the dust but this was not a chase to settle the race.

"Minty! DON'T!"

This was to settle a score!

Minty slammed her foot on the accelerator, nearly going through the floor of her kart as she finally caught up with Vanellope. She made a sharp turn, gaining an edge against the vanilla racer and she bumped her, much too angry at this point to calm down.

"Ya wanna play tough now?!" the girl growled "FINE! I'mma show ya EVERYTHIN' I've been holdin' back all these years!"

"Heh, Minty…." Vanellope smirked "It's just a race! Torvald will come back!"

"This ISN'T about that!" the green girl shouted, hitting Vanellope hard again "Ya went too far! _**YA KNOW YA DID!"**_

"Too far? HA! I'm just enjoyin' tha game like everyone else!" Vanellope laughed "An' right now, MINTZ. I'd suggest that ya hang on!"

A few paces back, Taffyta could see the tail-lights of Vanellope's kart blink, a sign that another power-up was going to activate.

"Aw man, this isn't going to end well!"

Indeed, it was not.

Minty tried to steer out of the way as she caught a glimpse of the light but she was a second too late.

**POP-ROCKETS!**

The power-up had been activated and much to the horror of everyone that was still on the track, Vanellope aimed the entire lot of rockets at Minty's kart!

"_Aw CRACKERJA-!"_

There was an explosion, one that rocked every kart nearby. It happened in the blink of an eye but everyone who was in the game could see it, the images flashing on the jumbotron.

"Holy-!" Swizzle gasped as he sat in the crowd, standing up in horror "MINTY!"

The rockets exploded in a great eruption of color and candy, Vanellope once again glitching her way to safety and the lead. The smoke was thick and burned the noses and eyes of all around it but Taffyta could see a large chunk of something, something that looked like a KART, sailing over the ends of the candy canyon, hitting the cragged rocks on the side.

"MINTY!"

**BOOM!**

Taffyta screamed as she felt something break from under her own kart, her attention on Minty keeping her from noticing the flying debris raining down on the rest of the racers. The wheels of her kart disintegrated, sharp jagged bits of lollipop flying everywhere and causing the entire vehicle to fishtail.

"Aurgh! C'MON, C'MON!"

The kart began to spiral out of control, the other racers trying desperately to move out of the way to avoid the powerless Taffyta. She screamed, holding her foot on the breaks as her kart skidded on the road, the burning scent of sugar hitting her nose and sparks flying everywhere! She shut her eyes, hands clutching onto the steering wheel as she waited for the inevitable but-

_***SCRUNCH!***_

"OOF!"

The bubblegum airbag went off in her face as she came to a sudden stop, hearing the other karts roaring past her. She panted horribly, her heart feeling like it was about to erupt from her chest.

"_A-Am I alive?!"_

Thankfully, she was.

She looked around, seeing that she was only a mere inches from the edge of the same cliff that Minty had gone over, stopped by the entrance of the tunnel she had crashed into. She knew it was over for her but at least she was still in one piece.

"_Oh Gobs…" _the girl breathed out, slamming her head on the deflating airbag _"That was close…."_

_WEE-OH! WEE-OH!_

The ambulances.

The pink racer looked up, seeing the karts and candy paramedics rushing to the scene.

"Can ya see tha kart?"

"Yeah, it's down there but it might be too far!"

Minty. Torvald.

They were both down there, weren't they?

Taffyta struggled to get out of her own kart, a sharp pain hitting her arm.

"OW!"

Looks like she didn't come out as unharmed as she thought but she didn't stop. She clutched her aching arm and ran over towards the scene of the accident. Her stomach churned at the thought but as she looked over, she couldn't see anyone, just the remains of two candy karts. She blanched, not sure what to do.

"G-Guys?"

The sound of a cheering crowd hit her ears, the race officially over.

"**VANELLOPE VON SCHWEETZ WINS!"**

Wins?

What had Vanellope really won?

"I think I found someone!" cried one of the candy paramedics "Wait, make that TWO!"

A small smile formed on Taffyta face but it didn't last for long.

What was going on? The races had never been like this, not even when King Candy was in rule! He had been rough, he had been tough and there were accidents….but not like this. NEVER like this!

Taffyta backed off, letting the paramedics do their job as they took both Minty and Torvald on stretchers, rushing off to the hospital.

"Kid!"

Taffyta squeaked but the pain in her arm shooting through her. She turned, seeing one of the paramedics approaching her.

"Hey, hey. Need me to check out your arm?" the candy person asked, moving in before the girl could object.

"I-I guess." Taffyta nodded "G-Guess it was just another rough race."


	15. Chapter 15- Alone Time

Chapter Fifteen – Alone Time

"Man, did ya hear what happened?"

"Huh, what did ya say Felix?"

Wrecker and Repairman were going about their daily cleaning duties in their home, making sure not a brick was out a place nor an item un-fixed.

"She had some sorta accident from what I heard!" the Repairman said "Pretty bad too! Someone went off a cliff!"

"WHAT!?" Ralph gasped, nearly dropping to the ground"Aw man, I KNEW it was a bad idea ta get her back on the track do soon!"

"Ralph, WAIT!" cried Felix but it was too late. The big man was already on his way to Sugar Rush, not even watching out for those below him. There was one person on his mind and one person only.

Vanellope.

By the time the man reached the rainbow bridge, he could see the crowd swarming around the main track. His heart dropped, the worse coming to his mind.

"Please be alright, please be alright!"

Ralph had never moved so fast in his life, reaching the castle in record time but once he got within the gates.

"VANELLOPE?!"

"Oh, hello Ralph!"

A smiling, INTACT Vanellope greeted his eyes.

"Aren't ya gonna come in?" the girl asked "Or would standin' at tha door be more suitable?"

Ralph needed a moment; he had been so worried that Vanellope had been in an accident that he had readied himself for the worse, to see her lying in the hospital bed once again but there she was, standing before him and smiling as if nothing had happened.

Had Felix been wrong? What had the repairman heard?

"K-Kid?"

"Yeah?"

"Um…what happened?" the man asked sheepishly "I-I heard there was an accident an'-!"

"Oh, yes there was!" the girl said, sadness coming onto her face "Minty, Torvald? They both went off the side rails! Crashed into the rocks below!"

"Goodness, are they okay?!"

"The last I heard from the hospital, both are fine." The vanilla racer said as she approached her friend "But it was AWFUL! I had never seen such a crash!"

"I-I guess ya haven't…." the wrecker said, unable to shake off the embarrassed feeling he had "But you're okay?"

"Yup!" the girl said "Good enough for another race!"

Ralph blinked "Another one? After everythin' that happened tonight?"

"Sorry, but I HAFTA keep on!" the girl said "I'm tha leader here so it's my duty!"

"K-Kid, I understand that but don't ya think that-?"

"Ya wanna stay?" the girl asked, pulling Ralph's finger "Ya know tha royal guest seat is ALWAYS open for ya!"

"B-B-But Nelly!"

"C'mon…." the girl sang "I'm doin' this for tha guys. They would want me ta race for 'em when they can't!"

* * *

"Hmmm, just a sprain…." Said the candy doctor as he looked over Taffyta "A quick recover-sweet should fix it up in a second if you so should choose. Otherwise? A week or two? It'll be alright."

"Thanks…" Taffyta sighed, watching the tiny candy nurses wrapping her up with care "But now? I think I might go with the second choice…."

"Are you certain Miss Muttonfudge?" the doctor asked "I mean, wouldn't you'd like to get back in the driver's seat?"

The girl looked down, a feeling of sickness forming in her stomach.

After everything she had seen, after everything that was going through her mind? Taffyta didn't know which way she was going, feeling as if she were being pulled just like her namesake candy

.

_Maybe, just maybe…._

"I think I need a break."

A break? Taffyta Muttonfudge taking a BREAK? It was unheard of! But that's how things were going.

The girl left the hospital, her arm in a sling and her ears abuzz with the sound of yet another race happening behind her. She turned back towards the track, seeing the colors, hearing the crowds but all felt numb, all felt so empty. She frowned, clenching her good hand.

"Wonder who's gonna end up the hospital next to Vanellope Von Glitch!"

No.

She couldn't have said that! She promised herself she would never say something like that!

But she was so angry, so angry at what had happened!

"Is Sticky okay?"

Her feet stopped, hearing a voice from nearby.

Rancis.

She jumped out of the way as fast as she could, remembering to watch for her injured arm.

"Y-Yeah…." Said Sakura, obviously worried for all three sisters, dabbing her eyes with her sleeve despite it being so unladylike "She won't leave. The doctors told her to get some rest but how can she? She'll be alone in that house without them."

Alone.

Taffyta knew what it was like to be alone and it stung her very code to think that Sticky was going to feel that way as well but she found that she couldn't move. She couldn't bring herself to go back into the hospital to help, to say something to bring some comfort.

She felt helpless, she felt weak, she felt like nothing.

Nothing.

Nothing like everyone else had said, nothing like she and the other racers were.

They were nothing. Just nothing but 'the others' for Vanellope to race against, right? No wonder Minty and Torvald stood no chance, they were just there for Vanellope to win against, right? It was their own fault for getting the way of Vanellope, right?

Vanellope Von Schweetz; the only racer who actually matted in the candy-themed game.

She was the only one who mattered, the only one who had a purpose, the only one who could win. The only….

_Wait._

A spark went off in the strawberry-racer's mind.

The book.

Her mission.

She had all but forgotten it in the events that had happened but Minty, Torvald. The other racers. Their worries, their anger.

It had brought it back.

She remembered what the book had said; she had remembered all the notes, the things that were torn away, the things that were blacked out.

The girl ran as fast as she could, her feet feeling as if they had grown wings. Once at her home, she pulled the large book from under the bed and threw it on the covers. She had to look at it again, she had to remind herself of the game's history, the game's story.

HER story.

The RACERS' stories.

They had stories, they had purposes! The book said they did!

"D-Did I go over Torvald's bio?" the girl said, her mind going faster than light "I-I don't think I missed it so-!"

_**TORVALD!**_

There it was.

_Torvald Blatterbutter might be the youngest of the mint trio but that doesn't mean that this girl slcks off. She is light as a feather and as fast as light, you'll never be able to catch her, slipping through your fingers like butter! Her skills on the track are slick and smooth but as a friend you couldn't be with anyone sweeter. She's always there, always around, and if you find yourself feeling bitter, Torvald will be there to flip it like a flapjack, her smile as sweet as syrup!_

Blatterbutter…

BATTER and BUTTER.

Taffyta found herself laughing, thinking back to her name and the years she had spent trying to figure out the true meaning of Torvald's theme and name.

"Well, who could hate pancakes?" the racer smiled, flipping the pages "And now for Sticky?"

_Sticky is small and shy, a mouse between her two rambunctious sisters._

"How true that is…"

_But as shy as she might be it is a different tale when she gets behind the wheel. She will whip those around her into a frenzy, taking off in the blink of an eye. She is a hardened racer but her heart? It's as soft and as fluffy as a marshmallow. She is the soft middle of the mint sisters and she sticks together with them through thick n' thin, even if that means finding herself in the middle of their squabbles._

For a moment, Taffyta felt good. She felt good because she was reading something different, something good, something that told a different story of the racers and their roles in the game.

If only they knew about this though, if only the arcade knew about this. Maybe their tune would be different, maybe things wouldn't be so rough.

Maybe they would stop calling them 'Turbo's little Darlings'.

Taffyta fell back onto her bed, the book at her feet.

"What is going on here?" the thought aloud "It's almost as if we can't catch a break!"

She peered down; the book was still there. Curiosity was drawing her closer and closer into it, her mind wanting to know more from these hidden facts and features. Turbo had done enough damage to the book, what with the missing pages and the blacked-out lines, but there was still enough to whet her appetite, still enough to bring a little inspiration into her heart.

But she was still so nervous about her own chapter. Granted, her portion of the book was a part of the collection of missing pages but had they been there, would she go to those pages? Would she have the courage to look? Part of her both craved and dreaded to know what was written on those pieces of paper. Were they good, were they bad? She couldn't know, not with them missing.

She remembered how the whole thing started; how she wanted to find clues at the castle before Vanellope went missing.

"I wonder if it all happened because of that?" she moaned to herself "Vanellope did say that virus was watching….did it know what I was doing? Did it know what I was looking for?"

She gulped, her skin beginning to crawl at the thought of the virus. She had no idea what it looked like, she had no idea what it even sounded like but to think that it had been watching her. That it had been following her every step as Vanellope said.

It was there, lurking, creeping, watching.

Did it know what she wanted, did it know what she desired?

"M-Maybe I should just put this to rest…" she said, shaking her head "Th-the last time I went out on an 'adventure', look at what it brought! M-Maybe it's a good thing I don't find that key! It-it's probably for the best!"

For the best? A few days ago, Taffyta was ready to find out the mystery of the missing key, of the missing pages but now? Now she was bowing out? But she was so close, so near as far as she was concerned.

But maybe it was for the best. Maybe the book, as it was, provide her with just enough information. Just enough for her to go with.

She didn't need to go looking for a key! She didn't need to go looking for the rest of the book.

….

_Did she?_

She turned towards her missing pages, noticing the great big chunks of paper that remained, guessing that in his haste Turbo had missed a few parts here and there. All she could see from the small picture that remained was pink.

Pink.

Her favorite color.

Or her PREVIOUS favorite color. With the way people had been laughing at her, the way people had been making fun of her, she was slowly starting to hate it. She was slowly starting to hate everything she was programed with.

But there was a pink sliver looking right back at her. She looked closer, seeing that the pink was part of something else, something lacy, something frilly. Like a dress perhaps?

The book did say something about other characters, parents and families. Maybe this was part of it.

It was in her section so maybe….

"Could it be….could it be my mom?"

Mom?

Taffyta's family?

Her heart began to race at the thought but then she remembered what she had said to herself, that she wasn't going to go about looking for the missing parts of the book, not after what had happened. It was too dangerous, too risky! She could land herself into trouble, she could land the other racers in trouble!

And it would be her fault and her fault alone.

After what had happened to Vanellope, Taffyta had no energy to go through such a crisis again. Never.

But that small picture, that small little piece.

It was a dress, a dress that belonged to an adult. An adult that could have been someone connected to HER.

Someone that revealed her history and her past.

"N-no!" Taffyta shouted, putting her hands on her head "No! I can't do this! I have to stop!"

The thoughts were driving her crazy! She didn't know what to think anymore! The races, Vanellope's sudden change in mood, so many secrets! SO MANY RIDDLES!

"_**GAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!"**_

The girl flopped on the bed, the book falling off with a thunk.

_Ba-bump, ba-bump, ba-bump._

Her heart began to calm, her breathing began to slow.

She needed rest. She needed comfort.

But she was alone.

Taffyta Muttonfudge was all alone and no one cared either way.


	16. Chapter 16- Puzzle Pieces

Chapter Sixteen – Puzzle Pieces

"How are you two?" asked Swizz as he sat at the edge of Minty's hospital bed.

"As good as someone can be after getting' flung off the side of a cliff…." Grumbled the green racer, glancing off to the side.

It had been two days since the sisters' accident on the track and both were still laid up in the infirmary. Their injuries had been pretty bad as it turned out, some of the worst both had gotten over the long course of their racing careers but of the both of them, Minty seemed to be taking it the WORSE.

Not that her injuries were worse of course but rather her ATTITUDE.

As soon as she had her strength returned doctors had to restrain the girl, keeping her in bed as her rage was fueling to go after Vanellope, the racer still remembering the smirk she had been given just as both her sister and herself had been knocked off the cliff into the crags below. Torvald had tried her best, her best to remind Minty to calm down but it took some time, and a lot of effort, to get the girl to return to bed to rest and recover.

It wasn't as if no one knew what had happened. Soon the entire kingdom was talking about the accident and the girls' fans were making their way to the hospital to support them. Of course, with all the cheers of good-will that were being given there were also some other things been said as well, mostly how some of the outside contenders found it funny and 'exciting' to see the two getting flung off the track by Vanellope, regaling of how the President used her new moves against the two.

Torvald and Swizz had hoped Minty wouldn't find out as they knew what would happen if she did.

Anger and MORE anger.

Minty wasn't the best to drag into a rumor because her reaction was always the same.

Anger and MORE anger!

"I think we'll be out in a few days…or weeks….maybe sooner once we're strong enough to get the proper power-up healers in us."

"That's good…." Said Swizz "I just hope you two get out there soon. The races are getting' BRUTAL."

Minty huffed, turning her head away; like she didn't know what was going on. She had been caught in the middle of it.

"You didn't make the roster this time?" asked Torvald.

"Nah, I got knocked out during the third turn." Said the boy "But there are others who didn't make it either. Beezie, Nougie. Jubi and Gloyd. All of them were knocked out. Most of the top contenders are still there but it's a struggle to make it to the finish line! Vanellope is like a demon out there!"

_"That's ONE way ya could put it…."_ Growled Minty.

"Wait, Taff didn't make it?" asked Torvald "She's always usually in the top three!"

"Nope, arm injury!"

"Just an arm injury?!"

"Yeah, she got taken in with you guys the night of your crash. From what I could see, it was just a sprain but she left without even considering a super-heal!"

"B-But-!"

Torvald had to stop; this was TAFFYTA the gang was talking about. Even if she made LAST place she would never just GIVE UP.

Of course, since the reset she had been acting strange.

"Ooooh, this is starting to worry me…." Moaned the butter-themed girl.

"How so?"

"Vanellope? Taffyta? These races and the virus? Everything has been going topsy-turvy since King Candy was fried!"

"Aw man, it sounds like you're implyin' he has something to do with this, Tori!"

"I-I-I hope he doesn't….." the girl shook "W-w-we already had to work under his control for so long! Wh-What if-!"

"King Candy has NOTHIN' ta do with this!"

The two racers looked over, Minty sitting up in her bed and scowling angrily.

"Mintz?"

"King Candy this, King Candy that! King Candy is GONE guys! But tha one who is back? It's NELLY!"

"Minty, don't point the finger at Vanellope for this!"

"WHY CAN'T I?!" the girl fumed, turning red in the face "After what she did ta ya?! You guys EXPECT me to just go soft an' EXCUSE it?!"

"Well, NO. But it's just-!"

"It's WHAT Swizzle?!" the girl roared "I don't care if Vanellope is Princess or President! She had no right to go about rammin' my lil sister like that! NO RIGHT AT ALL, even for these races! She's well aware of tha rules! Bein' in her position doesn't make her EXEMPT from ANYTHIN'!"

The girl's blood was boiling but was she more angry at VANELLOPE?

Or the reactions she had heard from others, their laughter when they talked about Torvald getting knocked off the ledge.

It was obvious which one it was and the girl was just itching to leap out of bed to show them a thing or two.

"Hmmm…." Swizz said to himself, rubbing his chin "Do you need some ice cream?"

"NO."

"I'm getting you some ice cream. BOTH…of you some ice cream."

"Thank you Swizzle…." Said Torvald weakly.

"I don't want VANILLA." Growled Minty "I don't want to think about ANYTHIN' vanilla flavored now."

As noon came upon the arcade, more and more players tried their hands at the super sweet racing games. Their curiosity was struck more and more at how the random roster races were turning out however, the Candy racers changing much faster than they had previously.

And Vanellope was always there.

ALWAYS there.

No matter what happened, she never left her spot.

"Just like the Bon-Bon guy…." Said one player.

"Ya mean King Candy?" asked Moppet "Yeah. I wonder what happened ta him. Maybe ya need ta put in a code or somethin' ta bring him back…."

"TA THA INTERNET!" shouted one player as she brought out her phone "I shall be on the search for COOOOODES!"

"Ey, while you're doin' that. Bring me a slice of pizza will ya?

"NoooOOOOooooOOOO!" sang the girl, waving her arms as she drifted away from the others "Get your OOOoooOOOOoooown!"

Codes?

Speaking of codes….

* * *

Taffyta made her way back into the castle, her arm still in a sling but a satchel slung over the other.

"Okay girlie…." She said "Let's do this."

The strawberry racer had made the choice herself to stay out of a few games while her armed healed and in that choice she decided to make the best of her time.

By starting her search up yet again.

The last search had of course ended in disaster but this time around? This time she was determined to finish what she started, to find the clues and the rest of the book. She needed to, she HAD to.

This was the only way she could prove to the arcade that….

"Concentrate, concentrate Taff…." The girl repeated to herself 'Just go to the library and…."

Thankfully, Vanellope was back on the track and racing as usual so the girl didn't have to worry about running into her anytime soon. She had a bit of trouble opening the large doors to the library btu once she was inside.

"Bingo…."

The search began anew.

The girl returned back to the reference area, looking through old maps and such of the game. Those were no help; they were just the same fake junk that was placed in the code to fill out the area, to make things look pretty and cool.

"Urgh, nope."

She went to the next section and the next but still, she could not find anything.

"Maybe I'm looking in the wrong places…." The girl thought to herself "If I were King Candy…."

_You were his favorite._

Taffyta shook her head, a terrible feeling coming over her.

She hated that. She hated it so much.

"If I had to hide something and I was the big cheesecake here, where would I put it?"

Maybe the throne room?

Oh, but that was going to be tricky…..but trickiness was something that Taffyta possessed as well. It was going to be a little difficult with her injured arm but she made the journey anyway.

She tip-toed near the throne room, finding the guards there at their usual station.

"_Hmmm…."_ She thought _"Just how attentive are these guys?"_

Taffyta reached into her bag and pulled out a bag of berlingots candies, their surface shiny and bright.

"And just perfect for this."

With her good hand, she held the round piece in-between her fingers and-!

*FLICK*

It flew through the air…..

_*Clink clink clink….*_

"What was that?"

And rolled down the hall, its sharp sound catching the attention of the guards. The first nodded his head towards the source, the two leaving to check to see if there were any intruders. Taffyta knew she had to move fast and move she did! She snuck behind the velvet curtains but saw nothing, with the exception of the code door. The girl placed her hands upon it, feeling the heat hum from it.

"_Maybe…."_

But she didn't have the password; only Vanellope did.

"_Darn it."_ She cursed to herself "_Maybe if I could go in there I could-!"_

"Nothin' I could see!"

Oh no, the guards!

Taffyta squeaked, poking her head out from the curtains and seeing the guards returning to their post. She had to get out of there but how!

The berlingots! YES!

"_Oh, such a waste of good candy…."_

The girl then HEAVED the bag through the air, the entire lot of the candies scattering on the floor near the door.

"WHO'S THERE!?"

"We definitely have an intruder here! Let's go!"

Yes, let's go….and Taffyta was on her way.

She narrowly escaped the two, running down the halls of the castle.

"Man, that was a close one!" she panted to herself "But next time, maybe I should WHOOA-!"

*BUMP!*

"OUCH!" the girl cried as she tumbled into the side of a chair, moving fast enough to flip herself over before she landed on her bad arm. She was on her back, looking up at the ceiling "Smooth….smooth as strawberry milk, TAAAFF."

Well, at least she was out of trouble anyway.

She remained on the floor, not really caring if anyone saw her at this point as she was just so worn out, her mind feeling like it was near empty with her search.

"I know this palace well enough…" she grumbled to herself "I know the main halls, the bed rooms, the fungeon….what am I missing?"

Maybe it was futile. Maybe there was no point. Knowing Turbo, he could have BURNED the pages and damaged the code of the book so badly that it could never be properly repaired. He had done the same to Vanellope so-?

"So there is no point…." The girl sighed "Urgh, I wasted all this time running around this game an' for wh-?"

She stopped.

She looked.

On her right side there were some panels near the floor.

Two off-color panels.

They were tucked so wonderfully behind the tables and chairs of the hall that no one could have seen it, not unless they were deliberately crawling on the floor. And in the corner that she had fallen into, Taffyta could not be seen by ANYONE.

"_What the-?"_

She got up, ducking even further and closer towards the wall. There was something off, something strange about it and she kept moving closer, closer, closer!

"_W-what…what is this?"_

She poked the first panel, finding that it was a little loose, more effort revealing that it could slide sideways! She gasped but covered her mouth, making sure that no one could see nor hear her. She poked her little head from behind the corner, seeing no one coming down the halls, making sure that her entire body was concealed by the angle.

No one could see her.

And that's the way she wanted it.

The area was tight but she pushed the panel down again, the door sliding open on its own this time. Her mouth nearly hit the floor with what she saw.

It was the inner glowing of the game!

"W-What is this?!" she said to herself, looking around "Did….Did Turbo make this?! Where does it even LEAD?!"

Dare she go into the little tunnel? Dare she see where it would go?

Her curiosity was growing and growing….

She HAD to.

She just HAD to!

This could be it. This could be the very thing she was looking for so she had no time to sit around and dawdle, to sit around and be scared.

She had started her mission to prove that she and the other racers were more, that they were not just Turbo's followers.

This could be the very thing that would clear those words up once and for all.

She took a deep breath, said a little chant of confidence….

"_Stay sweet, stay sweet….!"_

And in she went.


	17. Chapter 17-Papers

Chapter Seventeen – Pages

"Another win, another fine day wouldn't ya agree guys?"

The other racers moaned, much too tired and beaten to give a proper reply.

"Aw, ya guys used ta LOVE tearin' up tha track!" said Vanellope, another first place trophy shining in the light "Where is your spirit? We hafta keep it up for the gamers!"

"If you don't mind?" panted Rancis, smudged grease and smoke on his face "I think I shall bow out on this one. I'm a little be too RUN, luv."

"But we need an even number to keep the roster up! Ya just can't leave me like this!"

"I'm sorry but I can't." The boy said "I need….a good massage, a good rest….someone to fix my hair."

"Rancy, you obsess over your hair more than I do…." Grumbled Snowanna "An' I have nearly six times as more than you!"

"Well, we can't go on without an even set. We have to find some replacements!"

"So I guess we can override the coin rule, huh." Said Sakura "We can always ask-!"

"TAFFYTA!" Vanellope said loudly, the others falling over "We need TAFFYTA!"

"Taffyta?" said Crumbelina "If I am not mistaken, she has chosen to tap out of the races due to an injury. A sprained arm I believe."

"Aw, monkey-milk!" laughed the raven-haired racer "All she needs is a sweet-heal an' she'll be right back on tha tracks like she's SUPPOSED ta be!"

"SUPPOSED to be?" said Citrusella "Vanellope, I can understand if you WANT her on the tracks because you're worried but don't you think it's a bit much to act as if she is REQUIRED to be on the track, especially when she's injured?"

_"Citrusella….."_

The little girl in blue gulped, not liking the sudden drop in Vanellope's tone.

"_Y-yes?"_

"Ya guys understand how IMPORTANT these racers are, RIGHT?"

"O-Of course we do…."

"They're important…..so Taffyta NEEDS to be here when I TELL her to be here!"

The others stepped back, Vanellope's anger surprising them. They were aware of how energetic she could be but she had never been this aggressive towards them!

"Where is Taffyta? She hasn't been around the garage?"

"N-No, I haven't seen her all day." said Rancis "P-Perhaps we should see if she is at her home?"

* * *

"This place is a tight fit…." The strawberry racer said as she crawled through the narrow tunnel, squinting her eyes as the light glowed brightly in her face "I really hope this is worth it, girlie because if I end up trapped in here for all eternity-!"

Taffyta looked up, seeing the tunnel coming to an end not far before her.

"Is this it?"

It was too dark, she couldn't see. She struggled with her good hand to reach into her satchel, pulling out a strawberry flashlight.

"Nooow….what is this I have stumbled upon?"

She reached out, feeling nothing but air, the space before her looking vast but smelling of old paper and dust. She could feel the cobwebs sticking between her fingers, her arm quickly drawing back in.

"Ew, proof of the matter someone hasn't been here for a while!"

Cautiously, the girl inched forward until her head finally came out from the tunnel. She shined her flashlight about, only seeing so much before her.

"What IS this place?" she asked, her heart beginning to race "I-I've never seen this part of the castle befo-OOOOR!"

With one false move, Taffyta found herself tumbling forward. Again, instincts took in from somewhere and she FLIPPED herself right-side up, avoiding landing on her bad arm and landing on her feet.

"Woo!" she panted, wiping her brow "Close one there!"

She looked to her side, finding that the light hit something metallic. She moved closer seeing that there was indeed a metal ladder leading up from where she had fallen back to the tunnel entrance.

"Well, at least I know that I can get outta here….as soon as I figure out where HERE is exactly!"

Her skin began to crawl, only wondering what beasties waited for her within the pit. The floor felt strange beneath her feet; not hard but not too soft either and as she shined the light upwards she could see that the ceiling wasn't but six feet above her.

"Heh, no way that Wrecker could ever dream of fitting his big butt in here."

_***CLANK!***_

"Ow!"

What had she ran into?

She shined her light on the wall, seeing a small switch.

"Well, I have a choice and there are plenty of possible outcomes…." The girl said "One, it could just be a light. Two, it could be some danger switch and I could be smashed and bashed by a whole lotta crazy things that are possibly hidden in here. What's tha choice, Taff?"

Flip the switch?

Or make the move out?

The girl held her breath and closed her eyes, her finger flipping the little switch on the wall.

_*click*_

At first? Nothing.

"S-So, I guess it really did lead to-!"

_***B-B-BZZT-BZZZZZZT!***_

"GYAAAAGH!"

She screamed, dropping the flashlight to the floor and expecting something, anything, to jump out and get her but to her surprise more lights began to turn on, the dimness of the room disappearing as a soft warm glow surrounded her. She looked up, seeing the aged light above her head on the ceiling.

"O-Okay, guess that was enough to-!"

Her eyes looked around.

No.

No, it couldn't be!

Her mouth dropped opened as she looked around her, the small room she had found herself in revealing itself to be much more than she could have every expected for all around her were shelves!

And SHELVES!

AND SHELVES!

Shelves filled with papers, shelves filled with BOOKS!

"_Is….Is this it?!"_

Taffyta ran forward, picking up the first thing she saw.

_Cheat codes and How they Can Work for You_

"N-no way!"

_The History of TobiKomi_

"This can't be!"

_So You Wanna Be a Ruler?_

_Adapting to Upgrades!_

_Pixels Illustrated_

Books!

So many, many books!

Books on codes, books on cheating! They were all there, many of them appearing to be not just from Sugar Rush but from other games, games that looked to be much older.

"Y-You can't tell me HE did this!" the girl stammered as she continued to look around "Th-this can't be what I think it is! I CAN'T BE!"

But it was.

Turbo was a sneaky little thing but he had to learn from somewhere. And that somewhere meant he had to cheat, he had to steal. And what does one do with their goodies if they don't want anyone else to stumble upon their hoard?

They stash it.

They stash it away where no one could find it.

"V-Vanellope couldn't have known about this!" the girl said to herself, her entire body shaking "It had to have been installed after he came here! That's gotta be-!"

Taffyta felt a snag on her coat, looking to her side to see something metallic hooked onto it.

_"What's this?"_

She peered closer to the shelf, seeing the hook attached to something within.

"_Hmmmmm…."_

She poked it, feeling that it was attached to something spring-loaded, the wall it was attached to moving a bit.

"If I know my mystery clichés…."

She pulled the little hook down, the tumbler within it clanking loudly. The shelf shook and shuffle, revealing itself to be another false wall in a room full of mysteries.

"Holy…."

And there before her they appeared.

Papers.

TORN papers.

"They couldn't be-"

Was this it?

"No….no way…." Taffyta meeped "Is….is this it? Could this be-?!"

Without thinking twice, she reached in and pulled out a large handful of papers, many of them spilling out like a waterfall onto the floor. They seemed to be picked up by the rush of air, swirling around her, surrounding her, as if they all wanted her to pick them, to look at them, to read them if only to find out what secrets they contained!

Taffyta looked at the first slip, so many drawings and words scrawled out on front, Turbo's handwriting familiar as any.

_Pink Lightening- Easy on turns, must find something to combat its speed_

_Find ways to make it easier to melt wheels on Candlehead's kart._

_Weakness on Mint sisters/Sakura kart back end and front. Easy to break and wreck balance._

"H-He was taking notes on us!" Taffyta gasped but there was more, so much more.

Each paper revealed a new note, a new clue, a new story of how he had done it. How he had broken in, how he had built everything from the ground up to ensure no one would know, that no one would figure it out! Taffyta couldn't take her eyes off of any of the pages, the girl finding herself buried in the treasure she had found. She went from page to book, from book to page but through her discoveries she still felt that there was something missing, something out of place.

"I've found TURBO'S stash…but….but where are the-?"

The missing pages?

They were still around.

Taffyta could see them stand out as compared to the mess that Turbo had saved, their bright drawings and lettering catching her eyes easily. She pulled the book out of her satchel, seeing if one of the pages matched up.

"U-Um, this…this looks like it belongs in RANCIS' section so…."

It was a perfect match.

"So these ARE the missing pages!" the girl said, feeling a sense of success coming over her.

And then she looked. She looked at what had been torn out.

"_R-Rancis?"_

Again, her heart began to race, her eyes began to widen but she felt something else within them.

"_A-Are….are those….?"_

She looked over for another page, matching it up for another section.

This time it was for the Mint triplets and again, Taffyta was hit heavily from within.

"_W-Why….why would he-?!"_

She found Sakura's section, then Swizzle's! She found Jubileena and Citrusella's! Crumbelina's, Gloyd's!

It was all coming together but the more she found, the worse she began to feel. She felt horrible because she began to realize WHY Turbo had done what he did to the game, to citizens, to all the racers.

"He stole this from us…." The girl said, her eyes stinging "He stole everything…."

What could Turbo have stolen? Clues to their karts? Power-ups? It had to be more than that given the way Taffyta was now forced into silence.

She looked over, more pages left on the floor. If she put the entire book back together, she knew she would find Vanellope's section.

And her own as well.

But that feeling of uncertainty came over again. Would she WANT to look at her own section? Would she like what she found?

She had seen the others, their stories rushing back to her memories the more she look and read, but to read her own? What would that bring, what sort of emotions would she feel? And worse than that….

What if the words she looked at were just echoes of what everyone else in the arcade had already said about her?

What if everyone was right? What if her only purpose in the game was to be the brat, to be the bully, to be the one that Vanellope could shine off on? It could be in the book, it could be written there plain as day.

It could be another reason why Turbo tore out the sections of the book, why he hid everything away. Maybe that way he could start anew with Taffyta, that he could mold her to his vision, to his puppet. To make her a BETTER bully.

_**HIS**_ bully.

Once more, the girl felt alone, she felt cold. She was surrounded by so many images of what she had wanted but she felt as empty and as confused as ever.

"M-Maybe I should just leave this…." She tried to convince herself "I-I'm gonna get into trouble the moment someone finds out I was here anyway so-!"

Her hand hit something hard on the ground, her eyes instantly looking.

"Huh?"

Had she knocked something else off the shelf as the papers had come down? The place was a bit old and unkempt so perhaps-

Shiny gold.

The crest of Sugar Rush.

"W-Wait!"

The girl brushed and kicked the other papers away to uncover the item, its luster glowing even brighter as she stood over it.

After all this time of searching, after everything she had gone through, after all the trouble she had gotten into at the party!

"It's…IT'S THE KEY!"

* * *

"What do ya mean that Taffyta wasn't at her cottage?!"

"Sorry, but she wasn't there Nelly." Shrugged Swizz, the boy looking a tad nervous "Tried givin' her a call, she won't pick up her phone so."

"Ooooh, where could she be?" the vanilla-racer fussed, her cheeks puffing out "She knows how important racin' is ta EVERYONE here! Why would she just up an' leave?! HOW could she up an' leave!?"

"Cool it, cool it Nelly. I'm sure we'll find her." Swizzle said in his best attempts to keep things calm "Maybe she's in town. That's where she usually hangs out."

"Fine! You guys check there! _**I'M**_ headin' back ta tha castle!"

"Is something up?" asked Snowanna.

"I just need to check on somethin' real quick…" the President said "So don't worry, I'll catch up with ya guys later!"

"O-Okay…." Said Nougetsia, feeling some unease "S-See ya later, I guess?"

The others watched Vanellope as she made her way back to the castle, the guards moving out of the way as their leader ran towards them.

"Miss Von Schweetz, what are you doing back here so early?" asked one of the bear-claw guards.

"Oh, just came home for a moment or so…." Chortled the girl "There is no need to get so worked up, boys!"

The girl then went into her room, shutting the door behind her.

"SO many races…." She sang to herself as she looked at the giant floor-to-ceiling mirror "So many races an' I still look so good!"

Vanellope looked at herself, moving closer to the surface. Her eyes were there, her nose was there, her cheeks were there.

EVERYTHING was there.

"Hehe, victory never looked so sweet hasn't it, Princess?"

_***KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!***_

"I have tha best view in tha arcade!"

_***KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!***_

"An' crowds that ADORE me!"

_***KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!***_

"What more could _**GLITCH**_ wish for here?"

* * *

"Have I gotten more than I wished for here?"

Taffyta felt like she was in a scramble as she sat on the floor, surrounded by papers and pictures, the key held in her only good hand.

"I-! I can't believe it! This is it! This is the key I've been lookin' for!"

She was silent for a moment, but then she let out a high-pitched gleeful cry.

"I KNEW it was in the castle! I KNEW IT!" she cheered to herself, hopping on her feet "That inner Muttonfudge instinct was right about somethin'! Too bad it just didn't show me EXACTLY where this thing was the first time!"

She looked at the beautiful gold artifact. Even in the dim light it glowed so bright.

"So, I have the key….but the bigger question of the day is where EXACTLY does it go?"

Taffyta opened the book once more, placing the key down on the indent where it had once been before it was stolen.

"Hmmmm, a key. A key hidden in a book filled with info about the inner workings of this place. Maybe it gives all access to the code room! To anyone that finds it!"

It was a good thought but….

"No, if it were something like that Turbo would have never let it escape his person. And if I remember, he used some stupid Ko….Koko….KoNUNU code or whatever to get in. Might as well use the BARACUDA code if this game is so easy to hack into…."

So if the key wasn't something to break into the code room than what? What could it have been made for?

"Turbo kept it here all these years. He never wanted ANY of us to find it, not even Vanellope…."

Taffyta needed more time to think but she knew she couldn't do it in the castle, not even in the secret room! She had to go somewhere safer, somewhere far from the castle.

"Good ol' home. Where else?"

The girl gathered up all the papers, as well as a few of the other books she found, and shoved them into her bag. It may have made the thing weight a ton but it was worth it in her mind. She had found so much!

"Let's go!" the girl said to herself as she carefully climbed up the ladder though there was some difficulty with her sprained arm "The faster I get this done, the faster I can stop worrying about-! About-! About EVERYTHING!"

EVERYTHING?

"_I hope."_

* * *

"Tha others haven't gotten back ta me…." Vanellope huffed as she marched down the halls, Bill following her.

"Is there anything I can do, President?"

"Maybe send out the Devil Dog…" joked the vanilla racers "I think that might be tha only thing that can sniff out Taffyta at this point!"

"Um, w-was that a real request or-?"

"Bill, it was a joke." The girl said, her face dropping "I really am worried about Taffyta. Has she EVER gone missing this long?"

"No, Miss Von Schweetz." The candy-man said, shaking his head "She was always around, never too far from the castle."

Vanellope rubbed her chin, her eyes narrowing.

"This might be gettin' serious. We can't have a racer missin', can we? Especially not after what happened ta ME!"

Vanellope stopped, Bill running into her leg by accident.

"Alright, I'mma gonna need a team'a guards ta be spread out throughout tha castle! We might have another crisis on our hands if-!"

"_**OOF!"**_

"_**AAH!"**_

Vanellope was sent to the floor from the sudden bump but as soon as she opened her eyes-

"TAFFYTA!"

"_Ooow…"_ moaned the other girl, feeling a bit out after the crash "Mmm, what?"

"There ya are!"

"WHOA!"

"Oh, I was so worried 'bout ya!" said Vanellope, hugging the strawberry racer tightly "Where have ya been?! Ya missed ALL tha races today!"

"Um…"

Taffyta looked to the left, then to the right, such a guilt-ridden face having never been seen in Sugar Rush.

"Um….well, ya see."

"No, I don't see. I mean, aside from all that pink you're wearin'!" joked the vanilla racer.

What was the point in lying now? Taffyta remembered how much that had helped her in the past. She let out a heavy sigh, waiting for the inevitable.

"Alright, I was sneakin' 'round the palace again."

"Really?" Vanellope said, blinking twice "What for?"

"I don't know if the others have told you yet, or if some big-mouth in the arcade spread some story about it, but I found a book in the library you see and-!"

"Auurgh, enough with tha long talk n' all, Taff! I need ta get ya back on tha track!"

"Back on tha track?!" the other girl said "Um, pardon MEH Presidente but have you not seen the condition my arm is in? I doubt that I am in any state to race like this, unless you want me to use my feet or teeth or somethin'!"

"That's what all heal sweet-heals are for!" Vanellope said loudly, reaching into her pocket and pulling out the power-up.

"Wait!" protested Taffyta "I-I don't want to race, not just yet anyway!"

"Sorry, but we need someone else on tha track tonight!" cheered Vanellope, SLAMMING the heal-all on the girl's arm.

"HEY!"

Taffyta braced for pain but instead she felt a great tingle envelope her entire body, a light flashing as she was lifted off the ground. A moment later, she returned to her feet, her sprained arm feeling as good as new. She moved it, wagging her fingers before her but she wasn't too happy upon the instant-heal she had been given.

"Ugh, how many races are there left?"

"Until closin' time." laughed Vanellope as she pulled the other racer along "Who knows! But we need ya, Taffyta! I need ya!"

"You? Need ME?"

"Of course I do! I'll ALWAYS need my best friend!"

"Best? FRIEND?"

It had been a while since Taffyta heard those words, especially coming from Vanellope's mouth.

"Ehhehhe, sure….whatever ya say, Nelly."

Taffyta looked down at her satchel, making sure that it was securely closed. While she might have lost her fight to evade the tracks for that night, she was going to make certain that her other secret remain hidden.

Taffyta just wanted one thing to go right for a change.


	18. Chapter 18- Spinners

Chapter Eighteen – Spinners

"Ya headed ta Sugar Rush?"

"Yup." Smiled a certain Wrecker as he headed towards the Niceland trolley "Been a while since I've been able ta check out a race! Figured I surprise Vanellope!"

"Well, get a double ticket because I'm comin' too!" smiled the repairman "Poor Tammy is stuck with clean up duty an' tha Nicelanders have their NPC meetin' ta hold. I won't have anythin' ta do."

"Then what are ya waitin' for?" Ralph laughed, picking Felix up by the back of his collar and taking off "We wouldn't wanna miss tha opening ceremonies would we?"

* * *

"C'mon, we don't wanna loose our seats!" said Swizzle as he dragged Minty to the stands. Even if she were still a little banged up the girl was resisting with enormous strength, the boy pulling but her feet planted firmly on the ground.

"I ain't goin."

"But why not?"

"Simple." The girl said, walking unusually dainty before the boy, her eyes closed "Do ya THINK I wanna spend my time watchin' Miss Crash-Test-Dummy plowin' us about, throwin' everyone off course!"

"This coming from the girl who was banned from the Sugar Bumper Cars for a MONTH for doing the exact same thing…."

"THOSE HAVE A PURPOSE!" Minty roared, Swizz nearly falling on his seat "At least in those things you're SUPPOSED ta bump an' bounce about!"

"Bump n' bounce?" the boy smirked "Ask Rancis. I'm pretty sure when he went flying off, he didn't consider it a little bump."

"Swizz, I'm serious!" Minty growled, tapping her foot on the ground "Racin' with Vanellope isn't fun anymore! All she does is ACT rough an' everyone cheers when we lose!"

"Y-You know that's not true…." The boy said, forcing a grin "Th-they're here to see-"

"Ta see WHAT? Ta see WHAT?"

Swizz said nothing, sighing as he took off his hat and ran a hand through his green locks.

Minty couldn't have been right about such a thing, it was terrible to imagine. But the more and more Swizz thought back the more he began to see…

The other visitors did seem to cheer louder whenever another race met with the wall or some other obstacle. They did seem to cheer louder whenever VANELLOPE was the one who sent one of the aforementioned racers into such a formation. And when Vanellope was the one on the opposite side of the track?

There were always boos, always jeers, as if everyone thought that the other racers were not allowed to defend themselves against HER.

They were only there to be BEATEN, never to win as seen whenever one of them DID win.

But Vanellope never seemed bothered by it. Even if she were plowing through the kids, whenever THEY won she just smiled.

Still though, it was such a sudden jump from when she returned to….to when she returned AGAIN.

Before she was kidnapped, Vanellope HAD gotten angry when she heard someone say something off-color about the other kids. She had stepped up and she might have been wild, but she never was so aggressive behind the wheel. If she DID hurt anyone, she would be the first to apologize, the first to tell someone to bring a healing power-up.

But now?

Swizz watched as the stands began to fill without outside visitors, some of them pushing the smaller candy people out of the way rudely.

Even in their own game, the candy people couldn't get respect.

This wasn't right and Swizz knew if but for as much as he applied his massive brain to it, the poor boy couldn't figure out WHY. Something was still missing in his mind, something was still missing in his MEMORIES.

Something was still missing.

"_**WHAT DO YA MEAN NO ONE ELSE IS ALLOWED TA RACE?!"**_

"BWUH!" the boy cried, shaking his head and returning to his sense "Um, Minty?"

"Sorry Miss Zaki…." Said the box-office candy "But the track is reserved."

"For WHO?!"

"For President Von Schweetz and Miss Muttonfudge. _**THEY'RE**_ the ones who are going to be racing tonight."

"So, a private event?" Swizzle said "That's….that's never happened since-!"

"Since King Candy." Minty finished, her stomach starting to drop "King Candy held private events…"

"Hey, hey, HEY!" said Swizzle, putting his hands up "There is nothing wrong if Nelly wants to do this! 'Sides, other racing games do this so we're not the only one."

"Either way, I do feel sorry for Taff on this."

"Why?"

"Ya seen how people act with her since Vanellope came back." The mint racer grumped "With everyone seein' a Vanellope vs Taffyta only race? This place is gonna be JUMPIN'!"

And indeed it was.

Taffyta had only been informed of the race change mere MOMENTS she was pulled to the track and upon stepping out with her kart next to Vanellope's…..

The Boos.

The Jeers.

She was starting to get used to it.

"This is just what I need…" Taffyta sighed to herself as she put her helmet on, trying her best to ignore the sounds of the outside visitors.

"Eh, let 'em eat boogers."

The girl turned, seeing Vanellope strapping herself in.

"Boogers?"

"We don't have time to hear this." Vanellope said "We have a race ta run!"

Something went off in Taffyta to hear Vanellope turn away from the visitors but deep down, the girl wished she had done something MORE. In fact, Vanellope COULD do more since she was leader of the game and everyone in Litwak's had her ear….

But what little counted…..

"Okay!" grinned Taffyta, clutching her fist "Don't wanna waste any of that SWEET track!"

Unbeknownst to the two, two more visitors had arrived and were at the moment trying to find a decent seat in the mess of characters.

"This game keeps getting' busier an' busier!" said Ralph, being as careful as he could not to step on someone "But I guess Vanellope deserves it!"

"Y-Yeah!" said Felix, tip-toeing through a crowd "Only time I've seen so many people come in for a new racin' game was with Road Blasters!"

"Really?"

"Yup." The Repairman nodded "Course that was when it was BRAND-NEW, BRAND-NEW! Sugar Rush has been here for YEARS an' I've never-!"

"Ten ta one says that Muttonflub will cry like a baby when she loses!"

"Heh, lil brat always cries! I love seein' tha tears!"

Felix looked down, seeing two unfamiliar faces talking amongst themselves in the stands.

"Er, is somethin' goin' on?"

"Yeah." Answered the first character "Vanellope set up a PRIVATE RACE! It's just gonna be here and Muttonflub!"

"Mutton-_**FUDGE.**_" Felix corrected in a gentlemanly manner "Her name is MUTTONFUDGE."

Felix was all about competition but he wasn't about tarnishing people's names for enjoyment.

What a hero.

"Meh, the pink kid won't make it." Said the second character "Vanellope's been showin' these guys who tha REAL racer is since her comeback!"

"Yeah, who do these King Candy followers think they are? Somethin' special?"

A laugh was shared between the two but Ralph had to scowl a bit.

By know he thought everyone UNDERSTOOD what had happened between the racers and King Candy, what he had done to everyone in the game.

Apparently, some people were willing to excuse what he had done to the others.

Ralph didn't feel too comfortable around the atmosphere of the two characters. They weren't there to enjoy the games rather to enjoy who got HURT in the process. Being a Wrecker, wrecking things was what he did but Ralph never liked seeing other people get WRECKED on purpose.

Even if the kids had once bullied his best friend.

He knew it wasn't right, he knew it wasn't fair but before he could say anything-

"THEY'RE OFF!"

The crowd erupted into a mass cheer as the two racers went off at high speeds!

"There they go!" shouted Felix "Aw man, this is gonna be a race!"

"Y-Yeah…." nodded Ralph "Sure is…."

The race wasn't even a minuet in and the battle had already begun. Vanellope was glitching left and right around Taffyta but the girl stayed focus. She had been around the girl long enough to study the move, to see its weak spots.

And like all moves, there was a weak spot.

"Vanellope can only glitch in place five times before it doesn't do anything…." The girl said "An' she's using it up in the first ROUND? Oh, for shame."

Vanellope glitched a fourth time but Vanellope got her by the tail, causing the fifth glitch to send her BEHIND Taffyta by accident.

"And that is why ya time yourself…." The strawberry racer growled, wishing to see the looks on everyone who had shunned her when she pulled the stunt.

Of course, knowing them they would still accuse HER of cheating….

Taffyta took off ahead, her eyes gunning for any power-ups.

"Let's see, let's see-!"

A shining orb appeared a head, right on time!

"Yeeees!" the girl whispered to herself, her feet hitting the accelerator "It's M-!"

_**"BEEP BEEP!" **_

Taffyta nearly hit the wall when Vanellope GLITCHED again before her!

**GLITCHED?**

But the timer! She had used up all her glitch power!

"HEh, MINE!"

The strawberry racer turned as white as a sheet as Vanellope poofed five feet in front of her, the power-up in her grasp!

**RUNTY RUMBLE!**

Out from the back of the kart, Runts began to pour out but that wasn't their main purpose! Oh no, the little candies had something much more sinister planned.

Taffyta looked down, her teeth gritted as the lot of candies suddenly came ALIVE, swamping her kart and making it nearly impossible to control!

"Whoa!" said Ralph as he watched the action unfold on the Jumbtoron "Man, what can't these lil candies do?!"

"Heh, take Muttonflub out sooner?" said a voice from beside Ralph.

"Urgh, I never liked Runts." Felix said, sticking out his tongue "When I got a package, they were dust by tha time I tried ta eat 'em."

Felix's words were drowned out by the sound of the crowd, the lot of them laughing and cheering at Taffyta's expense. Not too far from them however sat the other racers, their reactions much different than those of the vistors.

"See why I don't wanna race here anymore?" Minty growled "THIS is what we hafta deal with now!"

"Oh, Taffyta can handle those!" said Candlehead "She's been hit with 'em before but she ALWAYS managed ta slip away!"

"CRASH! CRASH YA STUPID BRAT!"

"MUTTONFLUB IS GONNA FLUB!"

"WHEN ARE THE TEARS GONNA START COMIN'?!"

The racers were silent as they heard the crowd cheer above them, listening on what the entire arcade really thought of them.

And it hurt.

It hurt even more than realizing what Turbo had done to them.

But it wasn't as if they were the only one who found themselves caught in the middle of the cheering. Felix and Ralph were just as astonished as the children, feeling more and more uncomfortable as people began throwing such taunts towards a child who wasn't even there.

"Felix?"

"I-I don't think I can fix THIS, brother!" the smaller man gasped, moving back.

The crowd was indeed in a fever pitch and back on the track-

"I'm not going down like this!"

-Taffyta was firing up as well.

It was if the girl could hear everyone laughing at her, hear everyone cackling and jeering. It had been like this for weeks, weeks on end and as she watched Vanellope take off in front of her….

She remembered how rough Vanellope had been on the other racers, how much the crowd roared to see her do such actions. It then hit the strawberry racer while Vanellope was playing rough, the other racers, save for Minty of course, had settled back. They had refrained from attacking BACK as if something would happen if they tried to counter Vanellope's onslaught of moves.

The runts continued to swarm over Taffyta's kart, the girl looking down at them with huge eyes.

She then felt something POP from within. Something within her mind, something within her memories. She scowled, eyes narrowing as she focused onto Vanellope, she focused onto how her so-called fans were cheering for her, for her to be rougher and tougher.

"So is that what they want?" the girl growled "THEN I'LL SHOW 'EM HOW TOUGH THINGS CAN GET HERE!"

Taffyta hit the gas, BARRELING through the track at break-neck speeds!

"WHOA!" cried Ralph "Was that a ROCKET or-!"

"Look at Taffyta go!" said Snowanna "I'm not surprised she didn't break the sound-barrier with THAT move!"

Minty stood up "What tha heck is she doin'?!"

"I dunno…." Said Gloyd "But did ya see that look? Booooy, someone is about ta get their tail WHOPPED!"

Indeed, someone was in for a little 'schooling' on driving.

The strawberry racer kept her speed going as she approached Vanellope, the candy Runts still clinging to her kart.

"Okay, PRESIDENT." The girl growled "Let's see how ya like THIS!"

In a surprising move, Taffyta forced her kart to doughnut not once but SEVERAL times! The kart was more or less a rotating WEAPON, the Runts screaming at the top of their lungs as they were flung EVERYWHERE! A few sailed through the air and hit Vanellope, one landing on the back of her helmet.

"Wha-?!"

She turned, seeing a massive pink kart SPIRALING towards her. She screamed and tried to glitching but a last second BUMP sent her glitching inside a WALL inside of the track.

"_**YEAH! THAT'S WHAT CAN HAPPEN WITH GLITCHES!"**_ Taffyta roared _**"SHOCKIN' AIN'T IT?!"**_

Vanellope was in the wall but she was not out! If only she could regain her balance and her position before Taffyta-!

_**VROOM!**_

Too late.

Taffyta tore off for the track, the crowd booing loudly as they watched her gain the lead.

"CHEATER!"

"STUPID PINK CHEATER!"

"Was that a cheat, Swizz?" asked Sakura.

The boy didn't know "The rules don't say ANYTHING about that kinda move!"

"Then….then what should we do?" asked Rancis, the boy chewing his nails in fear.

"We can't do anything but watch." Gloyd replied "Man, never thought I'd see somethin' like this!"

Vanellope finally regained her balance and came out of the wall but she was so far behind Taffyta now. It would take a lot of maneuvering to catch up with the other girl at this point!

"But I always have an ace up my sleeve!"

_**GLITCH!**_

_**GLITCH!**_

_**GLITCH GLITCH GLITCH!**_

Again, the glitches were proving to Vanellope's ticket to the lead and as usually everyone cheered her own as she used it.

With the exception of a few 'others'.

"She does know she is gonna burn herself out using that thing like that?!" said Rancis.

Swizz observed the move "Tha heck is she doin'? Even on a non-game day she has NEVER used her glitch like that!"

"Oh, an' I'm supposed ta be surprised why?" huffed Minty "Given she used tha same move on me an' Torvald, I-!"

"Guys, look!" cried Adorabeezle "She's right behind Taffyta!"

Vanellope was only a few paces behind the girl and with one more glitch, she could pass her again.

But Taffyta knew that.

Taffyta was READY for that.

She looked ahead, seeing another glowing orb appear.

"This time, it's MINE!"

Taffyta jumped ahead, slamming into the power-up!

**KING SIZED!**

The back of Taffyta's kart began to transformer, a MASSIVE cannon forming!

"Oooooooh BOY." Said Nougetsia "This….this is going to end BADLY, isn't it?"

Taffyta checked over her inventory, seeing she had Brownie Bites, Jawbreakers, and-!

"Strawberries."

Plain strawberries.

The girl burned with rage as she remembered what the other visitors had said; how they had said pink was awful, that her candy and fruit were as bad as she was.

They wanted to see how bad it was?

They would see how bad it was!

Taffyta aimed the cannon-

"_**STAY SWEET!"**_

And with a large *BOOM!* a MASSIVE strawberry, one three times the size of a normal berry-bomb, went careening towards Vanellope! The racer gasped and swerved out of the way, missing the gigantic fruit by mere inches.

Another blast was sent out and this time Vanellope was caught in the resulting splatter, chunks and bits of berry covering the ENTIRE left side of her kart and HERSELF.

"Gotta save a few for the end…." Taffyta scowled, becoming lost in the race and to showing off towards the entire crowd.

Vanellope shook off the mess as best she could but she was proving that Taffyta was no longer the only one ANGRY on the track.

"Ya wanna play rough?! FINE!"

Vanellope sped up and slammed into the back of Taffyta's kart, trying to overturn the cannon to make it drag in the back.

"C'mon Taff! We're supposed to have _**FUUUUUUN!**_"

"Fun? Fun?!" the strawberry racer spat "FUN was two tracks ago! _**THIS IS NOW WAR!"**_

Vanellope smirked, gripping the steering wheel tighter.

"_Good girl."_

Vanellope once again glitched, popping up right before Taffyta.

"Hi! BYE!"

But Taffyta wasn't out.

"You have one trick…." The girl said "But that trick is gettin' OLD!"

Vanellope was gaining the lead but in her happiness, she didn't see Taffyta make a sharp turn on a hill, her kart disappearing from view. She looked up, only to find herself ALONE on the track.

"Hold on a-!"

_***VRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!***_

A sight as such had never been seen before.

The engines roared like lions as Taffyta LAUNCHED herself off the incline of the sharp hill and as she flew through the air-!

*BOOM!*

Another berry was launched but she used the momentum of the explosion to launch herself even FURTHER before Vanellope, the crowd watching in awe.

"An' that's how the REST of us do it!"

"_**BOOM!**_" said Minty, getting up from her feet "YUH, Taff! SHOW 'EM HOW WE DO IT!"

"Minty, sit down!"

"That….that was quite the move…." Said Swizz, rubbing his eyes.

"We've been racin' for YEARS…." Said Gloyd "An' I've NEVER seen her use a cannon like that!"

"Maybe it was just spur of the moment?" suggested Rancis "I-I mean, it's not like we haven't been creative with weapons before!"

"O-Okay, ya gotta point there Rancy. But still…."

* * *

The finish-line was in sight, Taffyta HUNGERING for it.

"This is mine! THIS RACE IS M-!"

_***SCRUUUNCH!***_

"_**AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"**_

The girl let out a scream as Vanellope GLITCHED beside her again, glaring daggers at her.

"Wanna explain what THAT was?!"

"It's called RACIN'." Said the strawberry girl "You should know! You're the champ aren't ya?!"

"Yeah, I am!" Vanellope spat back "An' I'm not losin' ta a MUTTONFFLUB!"

Muttonflub.

There was that name again.

After all this, after everything that had happened Vanellope had finally said it. She had called Taffyta the name that every other person in the arcade had now addressed her as.

Vanellope Von Schweetz.

The girl that Taffyta thought she could trust.

She could only look, seeing Vanellope's cold eyes looking back at her but in the emptiness of them she felt something else.

Sadness?

Fear?

ANGER.

Muttonflub echoed and echoed in Taffyta's head and the more she heard it, the angrier she became. She turned sharply, returning the blow to Vanellope.

"Well things CHANGE, PRESIDENT! This MUTTONFLUB as you say is gonna take first place!"

"Not if I have anything to say about it!"

Was another glitch coming?

"Perhaps it's best you keep that mouth of yours shut then!"

Taffyta made another sharp bank, causing Vanellope to glitch THROUGH her rather than in front of her. The vanilla racer snarled in rage, something that even Taffyta had never heard before. Ralph and Felix looked on, having never seen a race get so heated.

"Oh my land, oh my land, oh my land!" Felix panicked "What's gonna happen?!"

"Kid, stop!" Ralph called out "Ya two are gonna end up takin' tha entire section out if ya crash before tha finish-line!"

"_**TAKE HER OUT, VANELLOPE!"**_ shouted a crowd member.

"_**CRASH HER, CRASH HER!"**_ said another.

"No, NO! Not good! Definitely not good!" said Ralph but the crowd didn't hear him nor did they care.

They just wanted to see a certain strawberry racer get her 'just desserts'.

But for that racer and one more, things were spiraling out of control.

And they were to soon get worse.

As the two continued to joust with each other, they failed to see another power-up form before them. They were both much too angry, much too focused on taking each other out that when it happened-

*POW!*

_**C-C-C-CINNAM-M-MON SWIRL!**_

They were unprepared for what was about to happen next.

"What?!"

"Huh?!"

The two girls had slammed into the power up at ONCE, both their cars effected but as such, a little glitch came between the two of them. The game flickered as it struggled to register WHICH car had gotten the power-up and in her attempt to GLITCH herself out of the mess, Vanellope had caused both karts to FUSE, the two girls now attached and SPINNING like a top towards the finish line.

"UH-OH! UH-OH!" said Minty "People get ready! CAUSE HERE COMES THE CRASH!"

Vanellope and Taffyta shrieked in fear, unable to control themselves as they spun faster and fast and FASTER! They could not unlock, they could not escape! They were heading for one of the side stands!

"Bail! BAIL!" shouted Ralph "DO SOMETHIN'!"

Something DID happen.

The two were whirling so fast that there was no way they could aim themselves towards the finish-line so instead of crossing it, they ran right into a stand, people and candy flying EVERYWHERE!

"VANELLOPE!" cried a horrified Ralph, the man jumping from his stand.

"Aw man, Taffyta!" said Swizz as he and the other racers rushed to the scene.

Thankfully, the resulting spin-out hadn't done as much damaged as previously fear. There was no smoke, no fire, and to the grace of the programmers above, the two karts had once again become separated and whole again.

But there were two racers laying the middle of the mess, covered in candy with swirls in their eyes.

"The….the entire world is spinnin….." Taffyta said, her words slurring due to how dizzy she was.

"Omph. I…I think I'm gonna be sick!" said Vanellope, looking a might GREEN.

"Kid! KID!" Ralph cried in jubilation to see that his friend was whole "Are ya okay?"

"What does OKAY mean?"

"Taff, TAFF!" Candlehead cried out a she SHOOK the strawberry racer, not a good idea considering she hadn't gotten her balance back "OOOH! We saw EVERYTHIN' that happened! Are ya okay?! ARE YA-!"

"C-Butt, C-Butt…." Gloyd said as he pulled the girl back "….Relax. I think you're gonna shake Taffyta into PUDDIN'."

"Oh, sorry…."

Taffyta saw the world in CIRCLES for a moment or two but then shook her head "Wooo. I-I'm fine guys. I'm….uff, I'm used to being spun like that."

Swizz arched a brow "Uh, since WHEN?"

The girl stopped, realizing what she had just said.

"I…."

She was USED to being spun so fast? From what memory?

"Is Vanellope okay?!"shouted someone as they rushed to the scene. Minty rolled her eyes, scowling.

"Oh right. Cuz there aren't TWO racers here injured."

"I can't believe she did that!"

Eyes went over to the encroaching crowd, such angry eyes aimed at Taffyta.

"_Ah, here it comes…."_

"What kind of move was that, Muttonflub!?" shouted someone "Are ya tryin' ta kill Vanellope AGAIN?!"

"Again?! What do ya mean again?!" the racer said angrily, still a little dizzy.

"What a cheat! WHAT A CHEAT!" said another voice "Ya couldn't stand it could ya! Ya couldn't stand the thought of losin'!"

"Guy, back off!" said Felix as he attempted to push the crowd away "This is not tha time ta throw blame! We got two hurt racers who need ta be taken care of!"

"I'm fine, Mr. Fix-It." Taffyta frowned as she held up a hand "I can handle some bumps. Maybe Vanellope should be your primary focus on this one."

The repairman was a little worried by the tone Taffyta had used with him, unsure if she were made at Vanellope, him….or maybe even HERSELF.

She was doing her best to hide it but Taffyta was still very much upset inside, not helped by having so many outside characters piling up against her in order to blame her for what had transpired during the race. It wasn't as if their yells had added any fuel to the fire anyway. Felix clearly remembered whose side they were on and what they were calling for during the race and in the end, who won?

**NO ONE HAD WON.**

In their attempts to outdo each other, to get the crowd to stop, both girls had LOST. They had lost and gotten hurt in the process. The Repairman looked over, Ralph holding Vanellope in his arms. He then retuned his focus on Taffyta.

"Are ya sure ya don't need my help?" the man asked, being as welcoming as he could "Kid, there is no problem in askin' for-!"

"I said, I don't need help, THANK YOU VERY MUCH." Taffyta grumped.

"Okay, okay." Meeped Felix "I-I just…."

"_Urgh, I didn't win?"_

Everyone looked, Vanellope raising a hand in the air and still dizzy.

"Vanellope, sit down!"

"H-How could I not win?!" the girl cried out in anger "I-I was soooo close! SO-!"

Everyone who around heard a rather DISTRESSING growling, Vanellope going as green as Minty's hair.

WUH-OH.

"W-wait…." She choked "I-I need to-!"

And off she ran from the crowd and three seconds later?

"_**B-B-B-BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAURRF!"**_

Everyone in the game shared a collective wince, turning away from the scene.

"_**OOOOOOOOOOOH!"**_

"Aaaaw MAN!" shouted Gloyd "An' tha camera WOULD be facin' it too!"

_*Pah-CHT!*_

"Candlehead….did you just take a pi-?"

"**NO.**"

"Well…." Moaned Ralph "This is one race that'll go down in tha books…."

* * *

Things began to calm down later that night, at least for some anyway. Vanellope Von Schweetz had returned to her castle and after a MUCH NEEDED bath, she prepared herself for sleep.

But if one had seen her face?

"I cannot believe that happened!"

They could see she was LESS than pleased.

"To spin out like that! An' then to….to do THAT! In front of EVERYONE!"

It was bad enough that she had lost but to do so in such a humiliating why? It was something that she could have never fathomed, something that someone of her status should never have to endure!

She looked at herself in the mirror, her face growing redder the angrier she became.

"So, tha guys are growin' a lil courage are they? Fine, I guess if they feel so much braver, they can take on a few 'UPGRADES' to tha game!"

The little racer smiled, tittering sweetly.

"Oh, if only you could be here to see this. I mean, up close."

No one else was in the room.

"I can give you some glimpse, a little taste of what the game is turning into."

There was no one else to reply to.

"Wouldn't that be fun? To see how much FASTER I have improved things here. Ralph would be SO proud!"

The room was still.

"Oh, sweet sweet Ralph. He WILL be surprised soon enough."

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!*

"And that is something I cannot WAIT for YOU to see!"

The entire arcade settled down as the characters drifted off into slumber.

But who knew what would be there for all of them once they awoke.


	19. Chapter 19- Changes

Chapter Nineteen- Changes

Gloyd Orangeboar!

"Heh, wonder what his profile has to say…." Taffyta said to herself, reaching for another roll of tape. She looked at her work; it was pretty good for someone who had been handed a ripped up book and had plenty of spare tape in the house "Still, it would be nice to find some other way to get the black markings off the pages.

_Tricks or treat, he'll beat you something sweet! Gloyd is the trickster of the tracks, magic and mayhem up his sleeves. When you think you have him cornered, he'll surprise you with a start, making his way to first place as you're left in the dust!_

Taffyta had to admit, she did enjoy reading the bios of her friends, to see something DIFFERENT said about them for once compared to the constant badgering they had been receiving since the fall of Turbo. It might have been confined to a book but there was just something so comforting to see something that was POSITIVE about them for a change, something that had nothing to do with arcade gossip or Turbo.

"I guess this is what our stories would have been like had he not gotten involved…." The girl side before biting off another line of tape "Now, to finish…."

_That glint in his eyes might hide a sneaky surprise but don't you worry. Crafty as he might be, Gloyd does enjoy making his friends smile. Just be careful when he gives you a hand; you never know if a buzzer will be on the other side._

"Haven't we all gone through that trick…"

One more piece of tape and-!

"DONE!" Taffyta said, holding the book before her "Well….kinda done."

The book….it looked OKAY. It was the best Taffyta could manage on her own considering that no one in the game, let alone the entire ARCADE, knew she had it. Some of the pages were lopsided and some of them stuck out but at least they were in….

Most of them…

The girl looked off to the side, noticing a stake of papers she had yet to reattach to the book.

They were HER pages.

Pages with HER bio, with HER family, with HER notes.

HER HISTORY.

Why hadn't she put them in the book? Was she scared of what she could see? Was she scared of what she could read?

Of course she was.

She just wasn't ready for it yet, not at all. She had gone through the other racers' bios, had seen their notes and drawings and while it amazed her at how much was put into them game, how much was put into her friends and her home, she just couldn't look at her own bio. She couldn't look at it in fear that everyone could be right.

What if she were a Muttonflub?

"I-I'll fix those up soon enough." The girl said, taking the papers and stuffing them in her satchel "R-Right now though-!"

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!*

"Who is it?"

"_Taffyta?! Taffyta, let me in!"_

Gloyd?

The girl went to the door and opened it, surprised to see Gloyd looking so out of breath.

"R-Ran-! Ran all tha way here!"

"From where?!"

"Th-tha-!"

The boy put up a finger, kneeling a bit.

"Gimmie a second….WHOO!"

After he had caught his breath he stood back up "Ya won't believe it! Nelly's gone NUTS!"

"Nuts? Nuts about what?"

"Ya gotta come ta tha castle ta check it out! You're gonna fly right through tha skybox once ya hear it!"

NOW Taffyta was interested. Only the most grave of things could scare Gloyd this much!

The strawberry racer gave Gloyd a ride to the castle, seeing the other racers and several other candy citizens gathered outside the gates, none of them looking too pleased.

"Hey guys, what's the matter?" Taffyta asked.

"What's tha matter?!" said Minty "Her Royal Buttness has just put out a new set'a rules!"

"Rules?!" Taffyta gasped "For WHAT?!"

Minty threw up her hands in the air "EVERYTHIN'!"

"Er, EVERYTHING?"

"Do I NEED ta repeat myself?!" the mint racer growled "From racin' ta power-ups! It's-!"

"It's needed!" Vanellope's voice rang loudly over the intercom "To ensure that EVERYONE here is having as much fun as possible!"

"Man, I missed a LOT didn't I?" Taffyta said, shaking her head.

"Now, allow me ta repeat just in case a few of ya didn't catch it the first time!" Vanellope smiled, speaking into the intercom "WAAAAAAN! There shall be a limit to all power-up usage durin' random-roster races!"

"Wait, what?" blinked Taffyta "Er, how can we do that!? It's not like we CHOOSE when those things pop up!"

Nougetsia looked over "Oh, ho. It gets worse…it gets MUCH worse."

"An' seein' as we have a few, ahem, ROUGH-HOUSERS in tha line-up…._Minty."_

The little green racer frowned deeply; her nerves were being tested with Vanellope and despite the others warning her, those little fists of hers were ready to do some bashing should something else 'off-candy' happen.

"There shall be a bump-ban."

"A bump-ban?" Taffyta asked, looking over at Snowanna. The snow-cone girl tipped her glasses down.

"We can't bump or battle anymore on the track!"

"But that's where most of the fun comes in!"

"Third, ALL races are mandatory! No excuses for anyone ta miss a race!"

"MANDATORY RACES?!" gasped Taffyta "MANDATORY?!"

"Everyone has to come in attendance!" Vanellope continued "Everyone in the cheer section, every racer! It doesn't matter what is goin' on, if ya miss a race ya get a demerit! Too many demerits an' its off ta tha Fungeon with ya!"

**THE FUNGEON?**

But the Fungeon was to only be used for REAL criminals! For REAL crimes!

And from the way Vanellope was putting it, she had officially made doing anything BUT racing a crime! Who knew how many people would find themselves bared up inside if they so much as missed the entry time by a second!

"Oh, don't look so sad!" Vanellope cooed down to the others "This is just to ensure that EVERYTHIN' here is tip-top an' FUN!"

"Tip-top?" said Torvald, scratching her head "Banning bumping, reducing our power-up usage? Making every race mandatory? I….I don't know if that sounds like fun to me…."

"It sure isn't fun!" snorted Minty "An' did ya see that look she gave me?! Accusin' me of bein' a rough-house! Who was tha one who knocked people off a cliff!? NOT ME!"

The other racers began to file out, moving away from the castle and returning to the main town.

"Is….is this really happening?" Taffyta asked. Candlehead shook her head and squeaked.

"Ooooh, I knew she was upset when we bullied her!" the girl cried "I-I just never thought she'd take this long ta punish us!

"YEAH." Said Swizz "Sure took her a long, LONG time to suddenly turn like that."

"What are ya implyin' Swizz?" asked Gloyd.

The brain-box of the group stayed silent, everyone around knowing those giant gears in his head were turning.

"Hmmm…Taffyta."

"Yes?"

"Um, I hate to bring this up but…."

The girl looked over at her friend, eyes narrowing "What is it Swizz?"

"When ya ran into Vanellope the other day? Ya know, when ya two glitched after the power-up?"

"Yeeees?"

"Did you notice….anything odd about Nelly after ya crashed?"

Taffyta arched a brow "Aside from when she BARFED?"

"I didn't mean that!"

"Aside she was actin' like a total maniac on tha track when she raced? Aside from that fact that she GLITCHED outta control? Nah, Swizz! I didn't see anything out of the ordinary!"

"Her glitch?" asked Rancis "What does that have anything to do with it?"

"Didn't you see it, Rancy?" said Sticky "Vanellope usually has a limit to how many glitches she can do before it tires her out, even less when she's on the dial in a race!"

"Yeah!" Candlehead nodded "Ya know she has ta build up that power-index thingie on her kart before a player can make her do it! Before or after she used it up? No go!"

"Maybe she just got stronger? Meeped Adorabeezle "I-I mean, it is possible…"

"It's possible…." Said Swizz "But there's still something off about it now that you mention it. Taff. Everything here just feels BROKEN ever since-!"

"Ever since Nelly was kidnapped?" asked Jubileena. Swizz shook his head.

"Ah-uh. Since the reset."

Citrusella look astonished at the mention of the big reset "The reset? But everything was supposed to return to NORMAL with that! How can you say something isn't right?"

"Wait…."

Everyone turned towards Taffyta, the girl looking over at the boy.

"You feel it too?"

"Feel what?"

"That something is out of place. That something STILL hasn't been put back."

Swizz' eyes darted back and forth, his cheeks blushing slightly "W-Well, I was just trying to-!"

"Admit it, Swizzle. Admit it EVERYONE. Ya know somethin' BIG is missing from all of us!"

The racers said nothing, almost as if they were SCARED to admit to Taffyta that she was right; they were longing for something but they just didn't know WHAT.

"Taffyta, does this have to do with you looking for things in the library?"

The girl breathed out but stood firm. She knew she could trust her friends with this now.

"Yes, yes it does."

"If you don't mind me asking, what exactly were you looking for back then? You know, before all of this happened."

"I was trying to find some proof." Taffyta said, her tone harsh.

"Proof of WHAT?" asked Swizzle.

"Proof to show everyone here that we have more a purpose than they keep yammering on about, that's what!" the girl said, her familiar hard tone returning to her "Don't tell me you guys haven't heard them, that you haven't been bothered by them!"

Minty gave a nod; Taffyta knew she agreed.

"We spent FIFTEEN YEARS of our lives being lorded over by some nut-job who had his way with our code, who erased everything that made us who we are, and all memories of things WITHOUT him! I am not going to spend the next fifteen years of my life or YOURS in another heap thanks to some jerks who think it's okay to talk to us like we're nothing! King Candy thought we were NOTHING! That's why he locked our memories up! The rest of Litwak's thinks we're nothing-!"

The girl had to stop, her rage building inside of her. Why couldn't she find the same courage to say these things to the very bullies who had gone after her and the other racers? THAT would have sent them spinning home!

"What I'm sayin' is this. The reason I went to the library that night was to look up some extra facts about US because I CAN'T REMEMBER OUR BACKSTORIES!"

"Ya mean-!" Candlehead gasped "You can't either!"

Everyone looked, aghast by what Candlehead had said.

"I-! I thought it was just ME!" the girl continued "I-I thought because everyone thinks I'm stupid-!"

"Candlehead!" Taffyta said, putting her hands on the shoulders of the candleheaded racer "YOU. ARE. NOT. STUPID. You're not!"

"B-But everyone-!"

"You're not stupid!" Taffyta said "But l-like you said! You can't remember, can you?"

Candlehead shook her head.

"N-Neither can I…." said Crumbelina, everything turning as the usually silent racer finally spoke up "From anything memories I have…it is all a blur. Nothing is coming in right."

"I guess…" Minty said, her voice calming down "I'll join in with tha club too."

"All three of you guys?" Swizz asked, the triplets nodding yes.

Taffyta could not believe it. For so long, the lot of the racers had been sharing a secret that they all seemed so ashamed to tell but it only proved Taffyta's journey to be all the more important to complete.

Something WAS missing, something hadn't completely worked during the reset.

"Did you find what you were looking for though?" Rancis said, looking a little desperate as he approached the strawberry racer "I mean, did you find any clues? Any proof about us?"

The girl blushed; of course she had.

But was she ready to share those facts just yet?

"N-Not yet…." She said "I-I'm still looking."

A wave of glumness seemed to befall the other racers, Taffyta feeling a world of guilt as their hopes deflated before her.

_Darn it._

"I-I wonder if Vanellope feels the same way…." Said Candlehead "I-I mean, she's a racer just like us so-!"

"Don't tell her ANYTHING!" Taffyta blurted.

"But Taff!"

"No! NO." the girl said again "Trust me. I have a bad feeling that if Nelly were to find out what I was doing, we'd all get in trouble."

"All of us?" Gloyd said in suspicion.

"Yes, ALL of us." Taffyta replied "The way she's making up these new rules and stuff? I wouldn't put it pass her that she starts mass punishing us as well."

"Th-this is getting scary…" Citrusella shivered "I know Turbo was bad enough when it came how he handled his rules but….but this is too much of a coincidence! Vanellope comes back after all these years and suddenly she pulls THIS on us?"

"Yeah, it is a bit unnerving isn't it, Cissy?" said Jubileena.

"Then we make a pact now." Said Taffyta "If something should happen, we need to send one of us out to warn someone on the outside. We can't have another take over of this game, I don't think we can handle it!"

The others nodded in agreement but their fear hadn't lessened any more once the plan had been made. If anything, it only ignited their fear anew to think that something or someone else were planning more bad luck for Sugar Rush and this time?

This time the kids were awake for this.

"Taffyta?" said Candlehead.

"Yeah?"

"I-If you do find anythin' about our stories….do ya think they will be good or bad?"

Taffyta smiled, already having read the backstories on a few of her friends. She remembered them all, the thought making her smile even more.

"C-Butt? Something tells me when you guys finally do read them, you'll be pleasantly surprised!"

"_Surprised?"_ came a voice from the bushes _"Surprised about what?"_

"_Surprised that they're gonna get into so much trouble!"_

Unbeknownst to the racers, there were MANY eyes from outside the game that were still watching them and that the moment, both eyes and ears were taking in everything that they had done.

"_Aw man, wait till the Princess hears this!"_ said the first voice.

"_What do ya think she's gonna do with those guys?"_ asked the second, following the other as they carefully made their away out of the main village.

"I don't know but if it sends those lil cavities to the fryer, I can't wait!"

Vanellope's growing popularity had gained her some followers outside of Sugar Rush, followers who felt it was their duty to report anything they assumed would damage the newest celebrity of the arcade. Of course, these new found 'friends' quickly made it clear that their intentions for Vanellope weren't so much to actually help her given the way they had begun to treat the other racers and the small candy NPCs.

For many of them, this closeness they claimed to have had with the once shunned racer was an excuse for them, an excuse to latch onto whatever scraps they could scrounge up from being close to her and a free ticket to bully everyone else. The characters made their way to the castle, telling the guards that they had urgent news to the ruler of Sugar Rush.

"Ya don't understand!" said the first character "This is an emergency!"

"Yes!" said the second "Someone is plannin' somethin' rotten here!"

"Guards."

The large donut guards turned, Vanellope walking out of the front doors of the castle.

"Let these two in. If they have somethin' they wanna tell me, well I HAFTA listen!"

To be invited INSIDE the Candy Palace?

This was a dream come true!

"Th-thanks Princess!" said the first one as he and his companion moved in. Vanellope lead them down the vast halls of the castle, into the throne room.

"So what seems to be the trouble?" the girl asked, sitting on the throne.

"Those other racers? Whatever their names are, they ain't important! They're plannin' somethin' against ya!"

Vanellope gasped "W-What do ya mean?"

"What we mean is that we overheard 'em all talkin' 'bout some books or somethin'. How they didn't like tha way you were rulin' here! If I didn't know any better, I betcha they wanna stage somethin' like King Candy ta kick ya out again!"

"N-Now hold on…." The girl said nervously "Do ya have any proof of this? I mean….I don't wanna jump ta conclusions."

Vanellope looked off to the side, sadness in her eyes.

"I-I mean….they are my friends after all."

"FRIENDS? HA!" said the character "What kinda friends would allow someone like TURBO into a game an' then let him take over!"

"Did they really do that?" asked the second character.

"Of course they did! We know they did! I wouldn't push it past those little useless brats ta do it!"

Vanellope clenched her hands together; to hear such things being planned behind her back! It was horrible to hear.

"Th-they really think that?"

"I KNOW they do! 'Specially that little Muttonflub! She's tha worst of 'em all!" growled the character "She probably has a plan all set in motion! Or-!"

"Guys, stop!"

The two looked over at Vanellope, the little racer weeping.

"O-Oh, wait!"

"I-I just got back here…." The girl sobbed "An'….an' they still hate me?"

"W-We don't!" the second character said "We would do ANYTHIN' for ya, Princess!"

A spark of light began to return to Vanellope's smile, her head raising.

"Y-You would?"

"Yes, YES!" said the first, sounding frantic "We're not like those KIDS! We actually care about you!"

Vanellope put her hands out, resting them on both characters' shoulders.

"It….it feels so wonderful ta know that even in tha darkness, I have people who believe in me."

To get such a complement from the Princess!

Vanellope moved closer "Ya guys came all this way for me…."

The two nodded, taken in by Vanellope's tone, Vanellope's words, Vanellope's eyes! She was the Princess! They had to tell her everything, they had to get on her good side.

"Maybe…maybe I should do somethin' just for YOU in return."

"Uh, like what?"

"Deeds such as yours should not go without a reward…." The girl cooed, pulling the two closer with surprising strength. While the prospects of moving up higher on Vanellope's friend list was something anyone in the arcade would have wanted as the two were quickly finding out….

"_W-Why is it gettin' so dark already?" _

"_Rrrrrrrr….."_

No deed.

"_P-Princess?"_

"_RRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!"_

Shall go unpunished.

_**GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-!**_

Silence.

The room seemed to open up once more, the bright sun spilling in and giving off its wonderful warmth.

But Vanellope was now by herself, not a trace of anyone left behind.

The girl sighed happily, putting her hands behind her head.

"_You want to help me? I think I can find the PERFECT spot for you two…."_


	20. Chapter 20- Fun

Chapter Twenty- Fun

When Taffyta went home to her cottage she suddenly realized the weight of the promise she had made to her friends. She had told them if she discovered any unrecovered memories about them, she would be quick to tell them, quick to remind them that they did have a place, that they did have a reason to be in the game.

She would tell them that….

But she already KNEW so much, the source book sitting on her table and looking her right in the face. The tattered cover and pages seemed to be talking to her, seemed to looking right at her as she looked at it.

_Why are you keeping me to yourself?_

_You know the others are desperate to know where they came from?_

_This isn't the right thing to do, you know._

_Isn't this something that TURBO would do?_

_Turbo._

_Turbo._

_TURBO._

The little racer shook her head, trying with all her might to clear her mind of all the bad thoughts that were swimming through it as she already had enough to worry about. There were the bullies who were constantly antagonizing the other racers, the guilt over keeping the story book to herself and then there was Vanellope.

Vanellope Von Schweetz.

"I remember when I was just annoyed that her glitch was winning all the time…." The girl sighed as she went to her bed "But there's something bigger now. Something that I just can't put my hands on."

The next morning was cold and bitter in the land of sweets, all the racers preparing themselves for the next wave of races but none smiled, none held the same energy as they had before. With the prospect of Vanellope's new 'rules' in place, the team of kids weren't sure that the morning rosters races were going to be as enjoyable as they were before.

Like clockwork, some of the outside spectators arrived, already weighing down on most of the group.

"I hate this…."Minty mumbled to herself, taking her eyes off the crowds "I thought things would be kinda cool havin' some visitors comin' around and watchin' us race. Now, its just a nightmare."

"Minty!" said Sticky "You shouldn't say things like that to our GUEST!"

"Guest? HA. I'll consider 'em GUEST when they do somethin' other than heckle us for just existin'!"

"We can't focus on them, guys…." Taffyta said as she rolled up in Pink Lightening "Our focus is to get down that track, not worry about what some outsides say about us."

"I-I wouldn't worry so much…." whimpered Adorabeezle "If they didn't care that attitude o-outside the game. Th-they're so harsh when we race and when we walk."

"Guys, just STOP!" Taffyta snapped "They're just jabberin'! Ignore it."

If only the strawberry racer could heed her own advice as much as she was giving it. She tried to play the part of the leader as she had when Turbo had run of the game but with how things had turned she found it harder and harder to do so. Back when Turbo was in charge, the kids seemed to listen to her more, to drop any worry or fear when she barked towards them. Now, even with a friendly tone and the best intentions no one seemed to listen to her. Everyone looked so down and grey, tired and worn.

And it wasn't as if Taffyta didn't know the source of the problem.

It was all around them, not just from people who filed in and out of Sugar Rush but from the entire arcade, from all of Litwak's. Things had changed GREATLY since Ralph and Vanellope had become 'heroes' but not in the positive way one would have expected. The two outcast were lauded as the greatest, were treated with such care and respect but their former tormentors were treated not as greatly. Taffyta had kept her ears open, hearing some rumors of what was happening in Niceland but seeing what people were doing to the racers, to her FRIENDS, was the thing that lit her anger anew. She thought she could turn over a new leaf, that it was good to see the arcade through new eyes but all she saw were characters, larger ones at that, going after the racers, telling them over and over again how they would never match up to Vanellope, how they were nothing, how they could never change, that they could never prove their worth to anyone.

Maybe it was karma for what they had done but Taffyta knew it wasn't fair. It wasn't right and yet no one was doing anything to stop it. No one was doing anything to help the racers, to push their bullies away. The bullies remained in Litwak's, as they always had, but their taunts and actions were seen in malice, not when they were acting for the 'goodness' of President Von Schweetz.

"Hey everyone!"

The President who was now on the track.

"Hey Vanellope." Taffyta said, hiding her mood "Ready for the next race?"

The vanilla racer chortled to herself arrogantly "Oh you know I am. But remember guys, there are rules in place now."

Minty turned her head, eyes narrowing _"Yeah, I got your rules…"_

"_Minty."_

"I just want ya ta know…" the girl continued "They might seem HARSH, but I'm doin' 'em for a reason."

The others looked on, waiting for the girl's explanation.

"Things are gettin' real tough 'round here an' I just wanna make sure that things are tha best for ya guys an' everyone else."

Yes, someone ELSE had said something similar and HE wound up locking everyone's memories up. What made Vanellope's actions any better to the eyes of the arcade?

"We can still have fun!" Vanellope smiled "There's nothin' against tha rules that state THAT! An' sides, I know ya guys are more skilled than most ADULT racers on tha track! This should be so easy ya can race with your eyes closed!"

"Erm, sure we can…" Taffyta grimaced, putting on her helmet "So….."

"So?"

There was an awkward paused between the two girls, each one awaiting for the next to speak first.

"Sooo….um, let's get goin'!" Taffyta spoke up "W-we wouldn't want these guys to miss out on the race, would we?"

"Not a chance!" laughed Vanellope, starting up her kart "Let's tear up tha track!"

Something was going to be torn up alright.

Three!

Two!

**ONE!**

**AND THEY WERE OFF!**

The racers blazed down the track at break-neck speed, the crowd cheering loudly! Once they were down the lane, Taffyta began her move.

"Hmm, Vanellope isn't pulling out the glitch so early?" the girl observed "Nice. Seems she's finally learning a bit of STRATEGY 'stead of spamming everything!"

Taffyta put her foot to the gas, her speeds increasing. She caught up with Vanellope but didn't look near the girl. She found that she couldn't, the rival's glint only stirring up feelings that she wished to hide away. No, she had to concentrate on the road, on the goal, on WINNING.

And winning was something she was going to do!

The strawberry racer saw an opening and took it, narrowing avoiding a wall as she went past Vanellope and took first place.

"I'm guessing everyone back at the starting line is booing now?" the girl smirked, used to the reaction. She braced herself, her mind ready for Vanellope would pull a glitch and dart in front of her. She had been watching her, her brain studying and remembering ways she could counter it and if this were not the perfect time to use such moves-!

But nothing came.

Vanellope did not glitch.

Taffyta was still in first place but things did not feel right. If anything, it felt too EASY, much too easy that Vanellope would remain behind without doing anything.

"What the heck is going on?" Taffyta said, peering into her mirrors. Vanellope was just GLIDING behind her, her speed steady but it was if she didn't feel the need to counter, to move, to attack. She blew past several power-ups but got none of them. She continued to ride Taffyta's tail, waiting.

Odd.

Maybe this was it. Maybe this was a sign for the pink racer. Instead of worrying so much, she should take the opening, go forth like she wanted to and prove to everyone watching that she could race, even if she didn't have 'powers' like Vanellope.

"Why am I waiting like this?" the girl growled, her grip tightening on the steering wheel "Let's get-!"

*BUMP!*

There was a short cry as Taffyta felt a sharp BUMP on the back end of her kart. Was Vanellope finally trying to do something to counter her place?

"'Bout time…" Taffyta snorted, waiting for the next move but none came. It was just a tiny bump until….

_**WOO-WOO-WOO!**_

The girl looked around, surprised to hear the wail of sirens approaching her.

"What the-?!"

Were there really cops coming on the tracks? One quickly glance in the mirrors answered that question for the girl.

"Slow down!" one of the doughnut cops yelled in his bullhorn "Prepare to pull over!"

Was this actually happening….in a RACE of all things?

"But this is a race!" Taffyta called back, her mind confused at what was happening "I just can't-!"

"I SAID PULL OVER!" the cop roared, driving up next to Pink Lightening. The strawberry racer didn't know what to make of the situation but as more and more cops piled up behind her she had no choice but to pull over and once she did?

_***VRRRRROOOOOM!***_

Vanellope grabbed first place from her.

"Okay, what is this?! It's not like I was speeding through Central Station! That's what MINTY does!"

"I HEARD THAAAAAAAAAAAT!" Minty called as she drove past.

"Sorry but you disobeyed one of Princess Vanellope's new rules…" the cop said as he pulled out his ticket pad "You know BUMPIN' is against the rules!"

"But I didn't bump her!" the strawberry racer protested "_**SHE**_ did! Didn't you see?!"

The cop nodded "Yes, we did. Vanellope GOT bumped an' tha cost of that is one ticket!"

"But-! But that makes no sense!" Taffyta growled "Once again, SHE bumped me! It wasn't the other way around!"

"Any damage done to Vanellope's kart is an infraction against the racer who caused it." The cop continued "This is just your first time so it's only a ticket but keep this up an' you'll be pulled from any races!"

Taffyta could not believe what had just happened. In all her years of racing, never had she been given a ticket WHILE in the process of competing! In the moment the ticket had been handed to her it was almost as if Vanellope had been given a pass to take the lead, the girl now miles ahead of the other racers!

"I…." the girl stammered "Why-!?"

As she soon found out, it was only beginning.

The next race, Taffyta watched as she and her fellow Candy Racers were pulled and ticketed for various things, things that did not make sense. Minty was pulled over for turning too many times in front of Vanellope, Snowanna got her warning when she was told her hair was too bright and made things difficult for Vanellope to see in front of her. Rancis got his tickets for taking a power-up before Vanellope could get it and so on and so forth it continued.

And oddly enough, it only happened to the OTHER racers.

The group could not put head nor tail on their ordeals, their 'crimes' becoming sillier and only paving the way for Vanellope to take first place with no effort whatsoever. The random roster races were becoming more and more sporadic but not in the way that had allowed the kids to enjoy their fun with getting chosen by the players. Oh, there were racers on the board all right but for the characters who actually had to go through the process of filling those slots it had become a nightmare. Not since King Candy did the kids feel that something was wrong, that their entire home world was being turned upside down.

But this time VANELLOPE was in charge.

"Ain't this fun?!"

And as long as SHE was having fun, what did it matter.

Throughout the week, the candy racers slogged through the game, the tickets and crimes being carried over to the main game as well. Not even the players got a break as they were slowed down by tickets whenever they attempted to so much BUMP Vanellope to find a way to take the lead.

"Hey, this didn't happen the last time…." A player said as Sakura was slowed down by a doughnut cop "Usually, ya can bump someone an' no one cares."

"Maybe someone entered a code? Turned on a new mode?" shrugged the other.

If only CODE were the problem.

Day after day after day the racers continued on but the limitations they were put under started to weigh on them heavily. If they thought racing wasn't fun before, it was MUCH less enjoyable now!

"UURGH! I don't wanna do this anymore!" Minty hollered as she threw her helmet to the ground "Does anyone want my spot because I'm callin' it for today!"

"Minty, you just can't throw your race like this!" said Torvald as she went after her sister.

"I can now! Why would I wanna race when if I so much as BREATHE tha wrong way, I'm gonna get punished?!"

"W-Well, I just-!"

"Hmmph! If anyone needs me, I'll be at tha bistro!" Minty said, stomping away.

'HOLD IT, MS. ZAKI."

The oldest Minty triplet turned, seeing another cop near her "What?"

"Have ya forgotten? All racin' is MANDATORY now!"

"Aw c'mon!" the girl protested "We haven't been given a break since all of this started!"

"Would ya rather end up in the fungeon?" the cop growled, her eyes narrowing. Minty returned the glare, everyone around feeling the heat coming on!

"Lady, I would LOVE ta see ya try."

"Minty, Minty!" Swizz cut in, pushing the girl away "Look, there's no need for conflict right now! It's JUST a race after all!"

"A race my foot…."

"I want all ya lil guys ta remember…." The cop said, looking down upon all the racers "Your Princess has put these rules up for a reason. It's your choice whether or not ya end up caged for not follwin' 'em."

"Good to know…" said Taffyta "We wouldn't want to upset our darling 'PRINCESS', would we guys?"

Some low mumbles came from the other racers; they all had thoughts on their mind but ones not suited for anything positive. The female donut cop then left, a few of the racers moaning once they were alone.

"What is HAPPENING here?" Nougetsia wheezed "Not to sound like such a downer guys but I've felt better days when King Candy was in charge!"

"Don't say that!" said Adorabeezle "O-Of all the people to say something like that, I never thought I would hear it from YOU, Nougie!"

"I'm sorry, Beezie but-! But it just doesn't feel right."

"You're not the only one who feels that…" said Taffyta.

"So, what do we do?"

"Why are you guys asking as if _**I**_ have the solution for this?" Taffyta responded rather gruffly "I know about as much of the situation as _**YOU**_ do."

"S-Sorry, its just…its just when things get weird you used to ALWAYS be the first to do something about it."

Taffyta flipped a lollipop into her mouth "That was back in the OLD DAYS, Nougie. That Taffyta is gone. No one wants her."

"No one wants her?"

"Who would want a brat? Any brat?"

"But Taffyta-!"

"Guys, I'm sorry but I have too much on my mind already! V-Vanellope is just overwhelmed by everything coming back that's all!"

"So…is this what we're supposed to ACCEPT?" said Rancis "Is this how things are supposed to be in our own game from now on?"

Taffyta turned, the bitter look on Rancis' face surprising her.

"We went from a guy who took over our memories to a girl who won't even let us drive like we're supposed to without giving us a ticket. And you're going to STAND for all of this? Really, Taffyta?"

"I don't want to do this, Rancis."

"Why not?!"

"Because it would lead to nothing good, that's why!" the girl spat "All everyone is going to do is say we're jealous or whatever they want. You know the song and dance now."

"But its not RIGHT!" said Rancis "NONE of this is right and I cannot believe that a racer like YOU would just-! Would just-!"

The boy grew more and more infuriated, his cheeks turning red and his curl tightening!

"STOP BEING A SCARDY-CAT, TAFFYTA!"

The entire garage went silent, Taffyta feeling the hair on her neck standing on end.

Had Rancis really said that?

Had he called the girl a Scardy-Cat?

She turned, Rancis already showing signs of regret once he saw her eyes.

"What….did you just say?"

But he stood his ground anyway….

"A-Are you scared of Vanellope or something?"

Taffyta marched closer to the boy, Rancis feeling as if she stood stories over him "I am NOT scared!"

"Th-then why act like this, Taff? Why act as if saying that this is wrong is going to get you executed or something?"

Gloyd rolled his eyes, turning away from the others "Considerin' how muffed this place has gotten, I wouldn't be surprised if sayin' something like that WOULD get ya sacked."

"GLOYD."

"I-I'm serious, Taffyta! I-I'm just as worried about this as you are but-! But we can't let it go on like this! This is wrong! This is ALL wrong but you act as if we can't do anything about it?! You act as if we SHOULDN'T do anything about it?!"

"Maybe you guys can…" the girl growled "But if I say one thing that no one finds in favor then boom. I'm the bad guy. You know my words mean nothing against Vanellope's now."

"When you say that…it feels like you're saying NONE of our words mean anything anymore."

"Guys, stop treating me like I'm your spokes-racer!" Taffyta shouted, turning red in the face "I can't do anything about this! I'm sorry! My words don't matter! _**I**_ don't matter! I'm just another racer in this game that belongs to _**VANELLOPE!**_ Just another face to go against her!"

The group could only look in shock at what Taffyta had said, disturbed that a girl who was once brimming was confidence was taken down so low. Days ago, she seemed to stand much taller, much prouder with the group but after so many races, after so many incidents it seemed as if she could no longer take it. She was drained, exhausted, but most of all she was void of any thoughts of how to help her fellow Candy racers. She knew they had come to her for a reason but that reason did not bring back many happy thoughts to the girl. They had come to her because she had always been the leader before and they wanted her to lead again.

But she was no leader.

The girl's head hurt, a grey cloud over her mind "Look, we only have three more races before the final pick. If we can get through this, we can…."

She looked over again; everyone else looked as grey and downtrodden as she did.

"We just have to make it through. That's all we have to do."

Everyone nodded but their hearts said no. What fun was it to race anymore when none of them could actually do it? Sugar Rush was no longer about having fun or being free as one blazed down the tracks. Now there were so many rules to follow, so many things to be careful of as not to upset their President and her supporters. All the racers started to feel it, the eyes looking down on them. They started to hear it, the laughs and cackles aimed at them. They could hear them when they messed up, they could see them when they slipped. It felt as if the entire arcade were watching them and as such they no longer wanted to do ANYTHING.

Day by day, the races took their toll, the signs all over the racers' faces. No longer did Candlehead have goodies ready for the others, no longer were Jubileena and Citrusella there to greet everyone in the morning. No one could hear music from Snowanna's house nor did Swizz tinker as much with his creations. There were no jokes from Gloyd, no new designs from Sakura, everyone was just down.

Everyone except Vanellope.

Vanellope marched with her head high, her chest out and so many new friends following her, the crowds growing more and more day by day. They loved it, they lavished in it, they wanted to be near the ruler of the arcade as much as possible!

* * *

_Cold cold cold, it's so cold here._

_H-Help me. Help me someone._

_I want to get out, I want to get home._

_N-No, my actual home! I-I want to get out of here!_

_H-Help! HELP!_

_SOMEONE HELP ME! SOMEONE HELP ME PLEASE!_

_Ralph, help me! Ralph, help me please!_

_G-guys?! GUYS! NO!_

_NO! DON'T LISTEN TO HER GUYS! DON'T LISTEN TO THEM!_

_N-no! GUYS! HELP ME!_

_HELP ME EVERYONE! HELP ME! I'M IN HERE!_

_I-I CAN HEAR YOU! I CAN SEE YOU!_

_IT'S NOT ME! I'M NOT LIKE THAT! _

_NO! NO!_

_P-PLEASE! I WANNA GET OUT! _

_**I WANNA GET OUT!**_


	21. Chapter 21- Inspiration

Chapter Twenty One- Inspiration

Maybe it was a good thing that Taffyta hadn't made the roster. Even though she was going to have to return to the track once he main game day was over, being off the roster meant she could avoid the crowds and their taunting for at least a few hours.

"But the guys? Man, I hope they can hold up…."

The girl had snuck her way to the forest and though she could still hear the sounds of the engines roaring from the track, and the occasional siren here and there, she was far enough away to avoid any prying eyes from Vanellope, the guards, and her newly formed entourage. It was a little surprising to the strawberry racer that she had forgotten how peaceful Sugar Rush could be away from the karts and after finding a spot in the Strawberry Fields, Taffyta found that a gentle lull was coming over her, one that she had not felt for a while but one she welcomed.

"Ah, peace…." She said as she looked on "I wonder if anyone else ever came here."

The girl looked forward, taking in the skies and the warm sweet air. She had come to the spot many times before, sometime with one of the racers but mostly she had come alone. She had come alone to think, to reflect but most of all….

Because the spot felt so familiar.

For the many years that Taffyta had been in the arcade, this had always been her favorite place to go but she never knew WHY. She couldn't remember WHY. All she knew was that when she saw on the plush grass, the strawberry blossoms surrounding her….

"I feel….at home." She whispered to herself. She shook her head, feeling more than that "No…not I feel….I feel like there's someone else here. More people here."

She could feel something on her hands, somebody on each side. Could it have been a memory from the past? Had this been a place she and Vanellope had once hung out together?

Then why did she feel TWO sets of hands, one of either side?

She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply.

"Everything is sweet."

But was it?

The girl turned, seeing her satchel and the book inside. She had come to the field for a reason and that was to finish up her reading, still so many things her mind wanted to know. The book looked slightly better from her earlier repair job but even with the pages replaced there were some parts that she couldn't look at, not yet at least….

"Who's next?"

_Nougetsia ___Brumblestain_!_

"Good ol' Nougie…."

_Though she was born in a land as cold as ice, her heart and spirit are as hot as fire! Along with her sister Adorabeezle, Nougetsia races for the pride of the tundra. She might be as sweet as cream but she is brutal on the tracks, once her sights are set she will not let go until it's done!_

Reading such positive things about the other racers did manage to perk Taffyta up a little, the words a welcome thing as compared to what everyone else had to say about them in the arcade. Granted, the printed word could only go so far when compared to how a character ACTUALLY acted but Taffyta knew better. She knew her friends were good kids but it was just the matter of whether or not the arcade would be willing to accept such a concept. They only knew the racers from the details they had gotten from their rule under King Candy as if they had had their way, that's how they would have wanted the racers to stay.

The girl sighed, wishing that there was something she could do for the others, anything to bring them out of the funk.

"Maybe if I read on?"

_Rancis Flubbutters!_

_He has style, he has the looks, but he's more than just a pretty face! Rancis is as skilled as he is good looking and not a slouch on the race course! Don't try to play dirty with this little gentleman as such a trick will result in quite the walloping on the tracks! The girls swoon, the crowds cheer, there is no one quite like Rancis Flubbutters!_

"HA!" Taffyta laughed "Well, I guess I consider this a bio that takes MANY liberties!"

Not that there was some truth in the book. Taffyta thought back to the past, remembering the many times Rancis would take first place and just how suave he acted once he crossed the finish line. She missed that, even if she herself would pout at the missed victory. Seeing the other's faces when they took home the gold did make her feel good. Taking hold the gold made EVERYONE feel good but now? The first place cup not only felt out of reach but something that didn't matter. Even if they did win, the crowds would accuse them of cheating because as they all knew, NO ONE could beat Vanellope. Her glitch was a sure-fire win at every competition so what other method could the racers use to one-up her OTHER than cheating.

The strawberry racer scowled; cheat, cheat, cheat. That's all she heard but she was doing what she always did, as were the others. They were racing with all their skill and their heart and even in an honest race they were still being yelled at, still being mocked.

There was no way of winning in any situation now; if they lost, they were mocked. If they WON they were mocked. No wonder the races were less and less fun.

"At least with King Candy, we-!"

No, no she couldn't think like that. King Candy had done horrible thing, he had done TERRIBLE things. He had robbed them of years of their true lives, years of their memories, memories that they still could not recount. He deserved no thoughts, especially those that were said in a POSITIVE light. But the girl could not help it, not when she placed the years under Turbo's rule against those that were now facing her.

Even under Turbo's rule, she could RACE and she could race without people mocking her. EVERYONE could race without the worries of some fan accusing them of whatever crime was the first to pop into their minds. But it still wasn't right, it still wasn't real.

The current situation didn't feel real either, though.

"Oh, what's wrong with me?" the girl moaned as she fell back onto the grass. She shut her eyes, drifting off as the warm air surrounded her, the sweet scent filling her nose.

Everything felt so warm, everything felt so right.

"Did you see the way she raced, darling?"

_Hmmm?_

"Yes, of course I did!"

_Who's there?_

"Our little Taffyta. A racer. I never would have thought of such a thing!"

_Hello?_

"I've never seen her smile like that. Smile so big and bright. She….she really enjoyed herself out there."

"Darling?"

_Who is darling?_

"Is something the matter, darling?"

"I never thought things would turn out this way. I never thought I would see such happiness in my life, especially after what-!"

The voices stopped, Taffyta still alone in the field, her eyes still shut. She couldn't move but as it turned out, she didn't want to. Who were these voices she heard in the distance? How did they know her?

"Honey…why would you think such things about yourself?"

"I-I just…"

"Yes?"

"I've always worried that Taffyta would pay for my past. That she would be unable to escape from under my shadow."

_Who are these people? Who do they know me?_

"I only wanted my little girl to be happy, to be free. And when I saw her on the track…."

_Yes, yes?_

"I have never been so proud."

Proud?

Someone was PROUD of Taffyta?

The girl felt her heart racing as her body began to float higher and higher. She had never heard such words of pride before since…since HIM. But these words felt REAL, these words felt like they BELONGED. They felt-!

"_**DADDY!?"**_

The girl work with a start, realizing that she had fallen asleep in the field. Not much time had passed but she was so startled, shaking a bit as she looked around. She couldn't believe what had happened; she might not have seen anyone, seen any faces but she could hear voices, voices that felt so familiar to her. She put a hand on her heart, swallowing her fright.

The book.

She had to look at the book again!

"C-Could it be-?!"

She then remembered her page; they were still in her bag, so close, so within reach.

Bu she couldn't look.

Just not yet.

"A-Ah!"

Sakura Yokan!

Taffyta stopped; YOKAN?

"Wait…Isn't Sakura-?"

Her eyes moved lower down the page, looking for any information she might have missed.

_Dev note: Sakura was originally named Sakura Yokan but due to the localization, and confusion on the translator's part, she was recognized as MINTY Sakura in North America. Further confusion was added when many magazines said that Sakura was actually a redesign for Candlehead, often stating the two were the same character! Add in the Minty name and you have a barrel of players who wondered the story of this little racer!_

"Oh my gobs…" Taffyta said "I-I always wondered WHY we called her Minty Sakura!"

_Sakura has star parents and a star kart so you KNOW she's a star on the track as well!_

"Heh, THIS also explains why she can be a drama queen…"

_The child of Sugar Rush's most famous celebrities isn't going to let anyone pass her up! Just when you think you have her cornered, PON!_

"Pon?"

_She's GONE! The lead is hers! She has the flare, the spark, and an eye for detail so don't under-estimate this sweet kid. She'll leave you in the dust!_

It felt so odd knowing that King Candy had kept such a book away from the others, that he had hidden from everyone in the game. After reading through it, Taffyta could only wonder what the programmers had gone through, all their work drawing and writing, to come up with the little world. Sugar Rush began to feel bigger, brighter, even more exciting and yet….

And yet as she looked out into the distance, things still felt so unfamiliar. She had been in the game for more than fifteen years but in that span of time she had only gone and done what KING CANDY had told her. What little exploration she and the others did was met by the same block, the same fog coming over their minds and the landscape. The game was limited to them in so many ways thanks to the man.

And in a way, Vanellope was continuing it.

"No, she's not!" Taffyta said to herself "Stop thinking like this! It's not right!"

She might have said that to herself but her inner code was saying otherwise. This was what happened once Vanellope got back into the game? This type of rule, this type of mindset? It really was no better than King Candy but in the case of King Candy, they didn't know any better. They didn't know the truth and that went for EVERYONE in the arcade.

It just felt so conflicting for the girl to fight against her own thoughts in such a way; Vanellope wasn't like Turbo she would tell herself but then she would feel something that proved her first worries CORRECT. She wanted to say something, if not for herself, then for the others but what could she do?

What could she do?

She looked at the book again, flipping through the pages. The brightly colored details of everything before her made her feel slightly better but she was still unsure if she should share her findings with the others, just yet anyway. She recalled how awful they looked, how drained, how terrible they all felt.

Maybe she could do something.

She HAD to do something to counter the events that had happened and with the book in hand, she knew she had the key. She had more knowledge than anyone in the game at this point thanks to the words she clutched in her hands and for once she was going to prove to everyone that she was more than just 'Turbo's Top Racer'.

At least….that's what she hoped she could do.

"I just want everyone to be happy again…" the girl smiled "It's not right that we live in a kingdom where only ONE person can enjoy themselves."

The echoes of the voice she heard before returned, Taffyta holding the book closer to her chest.

They said they were proud of her.

Whoever they were, they were PROUD of Taffyta.

Someone was PROUD of Taffyta Muttonfudge.

"Yeah….yeah. And I'll make someone proud again!"

* * *

The races continued on, the kids just playing through without any real heart in the matter. Vanellope won first place every time so to them it didn't matter who came in to fill in the slots, just so long as someone DID and it prevented any conflict thanks to the new rules. Plus, as long as it kept the crowds busy and happy and away from them, it was very much welcomed.

"Guess I'll see you guys later…." Said Swizzle as he went off to his home. The Tongue Twister was already settled in the garage as the boy walked alone down the pathway but as he approached his door…

"What?"

A note?

Great, what could this be? Another taunting message from a 'fan'?

The boy was about to rip it off his door when he noticed the writing.

_For your inspiration._

"_For my…WHAT?"_

Swizz took the note down and opened it up.

"W-What is-?"

It was a kart.

Or better yet, the blueprints of a kart.

The boy looked at the drawing, trying to make heads or tails of it but then he looked at the writing down below. The hand-writing looked as if it were being FORCED to appear different but he could still read it out.

_These were the plans for your original kart. And guess who helped you make it? Your mother. She was a great inventor and was your inspiration to join the races! Don't forget that._

Who had written the note, who had found the picture? The boy looked all around, as if he expected someone to jump out and catch him but as he looked again.

"M-Mom?"

_Never give up Swizzle!_

Those memories!

_Your dad you be so proud to see you race!_

Where were they coming from?

_Keep that brain of yours goin'! Never stop learning! Never stop creating!_

Those words, that voice! It sounded so familiar yet….yet….

He couldn't recognize it.

King Candy had never said such things to him. King Candy had never inspired him as such. It was someone else, someone much closer to him. The boy looked at the paper again, an od feeling coming over him.

"W-What's going on?"

And throughout the next few days it continued…

The racers would receive notes of encouragement from this mysterious mailer, some words, some pictures, various things they had not expected. Who was this deliverer and of everyone in the arcade such words of encouragement were being given to, WHY THEM?

Little by little the notes were doing something to the racers though. From afar, Taffyta could see the brightness returning to them, she could see small smiles and grins. It was a welcomed sight after so many days of glum and grey and as silly as she thought, Taffyta found she was actually enjoying herself as well.

Even if…

Even if she had not read her own section.

"I can't do it….I just can't look."

Something was still holding her back, preventing her from looking forth at her own history, her own story. It was such a turn, the girl more than happy to read about everyone else but to see her own words?

What if everyone was right?

What if she were the bad guy?

What if she were just a brat?

Everyone wanted that. Everyone would LOVE that.

How fitting it would be for one Taffyta MuttonFLUB to be nothing but the bully she had always been? She could hear EVERYONE in the arcade laughing. She could even hear the PROGRAMMERS laughing somewhere.

_I have never been so proud of her!_

But those word; someone was proud of her. SOMEONE cared for her, SOMEONE thought she was more.

If only they were there.

If only she could hold them as well as she could hear them.

No, she couldn't hold back any longer! She couldn't keep her eyes covered forever! No matter what she felt, she had to look!

"T-Taffyta, stop doing this to yourself!" the girl said, sitting alone in her home, her pages on the table before her. She was almost tempted to rip them, to shred them but she fought on, the better side of herself knew she couldn't hide the truth. The truth would only set her free and now?

Now she needed it more than ever.

Her heart was racing, her hands shaking, she could feel tears welling up in her eyes as she thought more and more about her family, about getting those memories back.

"I CAN'T DO THIS ANYMORE!" the girl cried out, flinging the pages onto the ground. She fell back into her tiny chair, sobbing slightly but as she looked down upon the floor she saw it.

A figure.

No?

Two!

Strawberries; they both wore strawberries just like her. Their outfits were designed much more fluffier than hers, much more fancy, just like the others she had seen. But she looked on…

"N-No…."

And on….

"I-Is this really-?"

And on.

Taffyta took the papers into her hand, looking right at the drawings before her. She had felt like crying before but now?

"W-Wow…." She smiled, her voice shaking with a little sob "Th…that's them. I…I…."

She couldn't say anymore, she dare not. She took the pages into her hands and held them tight, clutching them against her chest as she knelt on the floor. Her crying increased, tears rolling down her cheeks but she was still smiling. She was smiling because she knew; she knew there was more to her than just Turbo. There was more to her than just King Candy.

"_I'm….I'm not just a bully."_ She smiled _"I…I never was. And I never will be."_


	22. Chapter 22- Confidence

Chapter Twenty Two – Confidence

It is amazing what the words can do to people.

Words can be used as a weapon, sometimes for good but also for bad.

Words were once yielding in Sugar Rush as a means of tearing down.

Glitch.

That was a word often used towards one Vanellope Von Schweetz.

But things were different now.

Glitch wasn't said as much but bully sure was.

Bully was often used against the other racers, to keep them in line, to remind them of what they had done to the ruler of the game.

It had been used.

But now it seems to be weakening.

And it was all thanks to that book.

Taffyta had been careful about it, she had made certain that no one had seen her in the night but she kept up her work. She kept putting out little clues, little tidbits to the other racers about the good things they were capable of, the good things they could do because if not her, then who else? It seemed that after Vanellope had gotten her place back there were so many who were determined to make certain the racers suffered for what they had done, that they pay for the years of bullying they had subjected Vanellope to….

But Taffyta had grown tired of it.

She had grown tired of it and she was determined to do something about it.

It was strange how such a book had driven her to do such things but perhaps it was her past that lead her the most, the memories of what she had done as fresh as they had been if the bullying had begun only yesterday. She had heard from so many that she was INCAPABLE of doing anything good, that she and the others were programmed to be inferior to Vanellope, that she was the worst of the lot. She had gotten so much of that….but if Vanellope could make her own path to prove that she was not a glitch then what was stopping Taffyta from making her own to prove she was not a bully.

Nothing was stopping her.

And that was why she was doing this.

The days continued as the little gifts began to collect for the young racers and from afar Taffyta watched. She watched as their faces seem to regain their color, their hearts filling with the excitement that made the game glow in such a way that they all loved.

It was just wonderful to see.

It didn't matter what it was; if Taffyta felt that it could help, she would leave it for the others and sure enough the notes worked. On one day, Taffyta had left a picture of some of Candlehead's old concept art, pictures of sweets and cupcakes, in her kart. The next day….

"Where did ya get tha idea ta bake THESE?" asked Minty ask the candle-headed racer as she arrived at the track the next morning, a new freshly-baked batch of baked-goods in toe.

"Oh, just an idea that came ta me!" the girl beamed "But ya like 'em, right?"

"Mmph, love 'em!" said Nougetsia, taking another cupcake from the box "I have to say that these are your sweetest batch EVER!"

The girl was bursting with happiness at her friends' reactions "Thanks guys! I'm glad ya love 'em!"

Her own cupcake in hand, Taffyta said nothing. She only looked, a smirk on her face as she looked down at her friends.

And it continued on like this, Taffyta watching from afar as the others slowly came from their gloomy shells put on from so many flapping mouths of the arcade.

Snowanna got the inspiration to write new songs, sharing her tunes with the others. Sakura began making new outfits again, pictures left for her igniting her inspiration. Swizz was as busy as ever, using what little time he had when he wasn't racing to finish and build even crazier contraptions.

The game had never been so busy and it wasn't because of the RACES, rather it was because of what the RACERS were doing elsewhere. Sugar Rush felt alive again, something that it hadn't felt since Vanellope's return and the influx of outsiders had begun. Even if they came in droves, even if they continued to scream and say their jeers towards the other racers, it didn't seem to matter as much anymore. Their words didn't leave the same effects because the kids were getting OTHER words, words that ENCOURAGED them, words they told them to keep going forward.

They didn't know WHO exactly was giving them such words of strength but it was just something they welcomed, something they needed after the onslaught of negativity that many were happy to shoot towards them.

Had Taffyta let her ego get the better of her, she would have blabbed about her doings just as the excitement reached its peak but she thought it would be best if she kept her lips sealed on this one, especially when the reactions from the nay-sayers was all she needed.

Even if Vanellope won more races than the others, they didn't seem to care anymore. Taffyta would watch as Vanellope would glitch into the lead again, snag her first place win but as her new 'friends' gathered round, singing her praise….

"Man, ya tore up tha track Beezie!"

"Y-Ya think so? But I came in second…"

"Pfft, but it was awesome! You're starting to handle those turns a lot better!"

The other crowds went on IGNORED as the racers began to pick themselves back up again and the looks that they gave off.

It was just so sweet to Taffyta, sweeter than any candy she could even think of.

To think that only a few days ago, the same people would have LAUGHED at the racers as they called out their weaknesses, had made fun of them for losing to Vanellope yet again but their smiles were gone once they saw that they couldn't break the racers down as they once had. They would glance over, looking as if they couldn't STAND to see the other racers happy with themselves but that's how things had turned.

That's how they had turned and Taffyta was enjoying every glorious moment of it.

"Who do they think they are?" someone would say, Taffyta hearing them out of the corner of her ear.

"Don't they now they LOST? Again?!" someone else would join in.

"Why are they so happy with themselves? You'd think after everything they did, they wouldn't have the nerve to even show their faces!"

"_Keep sayin' that…."_ Taffyta thought to herself, twirling her lollipop in her mouth _"It makes everything that much sweeter."_

Taffyta was having her fun alright but there was one other thing that was on her mind; what did VANELLOPE think of all of this? After all, the President of the game had seemed to remain rather hush on the issue since she had implemented her new 'rules' on everyone. Maybe she had other things to worry about but whether that was the issue or not, Taffyta still wanted to know.

She wanted to know what was going on in the vanilla-racer's head to suddenly turn on everyone in such a way. Maybe that was too much though; maybe she was putting much more on her plate than she could handle. After all, it was already a job enough to keep herself from being spotted by the other racers. If she went after Vanellope too then she could REALLY be begging for trouble!

"Guys, just let 'em have fun…."

"Hmmm?"

Taffyta turned, Vanellope talking with a few others not too far away.

"What did ya say?"

"They're havin' fun, just like they're SUPPOSED ta do…." The President said much to the surprise of the pink racer.

Maybe Vanellope DIDN'T share the same thoughts of the others, even if her previous actions had lead Taffyta and the other candy racers to think so. Maybe Vanellope was just trying to be the best President she could be and after everything that had gone on, she was just getting caught up.

Yes.

Yes, that had to be it.

The strawberry racer shook her head, scolding herself that she could think Vanellope could POSSIBLY be so hardened towards her fellow game-mates. It was just the stress, the stress that everyone was facing and Vanellope had about as much right to hang out with anyone she wanted to, just like the others.

Still though, Taffyta did feel some relief forming when she felt that her friend was actually sticking up for her, for EVERYONE.

Maybe this meant it was time for Taffyta to drop a few notes HER way.

Later that night, the strawberry racer began to make her rounds towards the village but this time? This time she was going to make a special stop at the castle.

"_Heh, what a night owl I have become."_ The girl snickered to herself as she crept through the streets of the village, her bag stuffed with notes and passages from the bio book _"With the way Vanellope has turned the races into a chore, might as well find my own fun, eh?"_

The girl made her way towards the garage, planning to leave more notes for the others to find in the morning but as she rounded the corner-

"EEP!"

A few figures caught her attention.

"_Now who the heck are THOSE guys?"_ the girl whispered to herself, making sure she was still hidden. She squinted her eyes in an attempt to get a better view but the figures still were too far to make out but from what she could see, they certainly weren't anyone from Sugar Rush!

"Ya guys remember what Vanellope told ya?" said the first figure.

"Yeah." Said the second "But I'm not too sure I'm comfortable with this. I mean, its bad enough we're sneakin' outta our game after hours but have ya heard about those guys who have gone missing?"

"Huh?"

"Y-Yeah. Just a few NPCs and revolvin' characters but it still makes my skin crawl cause THIS was tha last place they were seen!"

Now Taffyta's attention was hooked; people had gone missing in Sugar Rush? That was a familiar song.

"This place is busy!" said the first figure as they moved closer toward the garage "I'm sure they'll show up sooner or later but right now? We got us a job ta do!"

A job?

What exactly was going on this time?

Taffyta stood and watched the figures makes their way towards the garage, one of them opening the doors with ease with a key. The girl let out a silent gasp.

"Where did they get THAT from?!"

"Ya have the cans ready?"

"Yup!"

Cans?

The little racer moved closer, her ears picking up the distinct sound of spraying from within the building. Her heart began to race as she knew very well that the sound could only mean trouble.

"Oh, they better not be doing what I THINK they're doing!"

Oh-ho, but they were.

The girl climbed a few boxes outside the little building and peered in through the window. The figures were well-lit now, showing themselves to indeed be more outsiders from the game and what were they doing?

Spray painting on the others' karts.

"Careful! Ya don't wanna get EVIDENCE on us, do ya?!"

"Alright, alright…."

Taffyta could only watch as the activities continued, the words becoming clearing on each kart.

CHEATER!

LOSER!

RECOLOR!

REPLACEMENT!

Each of the karts, the karts that the racers cared for so much, were being vandalized right before Taffyta's eyes!

"_There is NO way I'm gonna let this slide!"_ Taffyta found herself snarling, the hair on the back of her neck raising and her spine tingling with anger but what could she do exactly? It wasn't as if her own motives of being out would be understood should someone catch her but what was happening before her was MUCH worse! She couldn't let another kart be marked!

But-!

What to do, what to do!

She knew the risk that were to come, whatever action she took but she was fed up of EVERYTHING that had been going on in the arcade up to this point! It was bad enough that people thought they could get away with screaming at the racers during the normal sessions, marking up their karts was the final straw!

Without thinking twice, Taffyta jumped off the boxes and STORMED through the door.

"_**STOP!"**_

The vandals cried out in shock, one of them dropping their can on the ground as Taffyta stood before them, eyes glaring at them.

"What in the HECK do ya think you're doin'?!"

"Aw, cripes!" called one of the vandals "I knew we were gonna get caught!"

"Guys, don't move!" called the leader, a had going out towards them "Its just tha PINK ONE! We have no reason ta be scared!"

"Like fun ya do!" Taffyta growled, teeth gnashing "I caught ya guys here RED-HANDED!"

"Heh…." Snickered the leader, walking over to Taffyta and looking down upon her "Ya mean, we caught YOU red-handed!"

The little racer returned the nasty glare, her hands on her hips "What are ya blabberin' about?"

"Looks like while out on our patrol, we caught a lil BULLY markin' up the others' karts." The larger character said "I'm sure Princess Vanellope would LOVE ta hear about this, as would tha rest of the arcade!"

Taffyta knew EXACTLY what the character was trying to do, the black-mail obvious but what they did not know was that this wasn't the same Taffyta they were used to. Had they run into Taffyta weeks before, they could have easily made her squirm, easily made her fuss and pout, possibly even CRY.

But this wasn't THAT Taffyta.

And she wasn't going to be pushed around anymore.

"Scus me…." The girl said, flipping the edge of her cap "But judgin' from the size of DEM finger prints you guys left behind, I think there is clear evidence that I did not commit this act."

The characters looked back, seeing that there were indeed smears and smudges of a larger character left around the area, things that a tiny racer such as Taffyta could not have left behind.

He should have taken heed of his partner; it was better to be careful.

Seeing their error, the character growled in hopes of scaring Taffyta away but she did not budge "Ya lil Muttonflub! Don't ya dare even think about gettin' smart with me!"

The girl smirked, pink lips forming into a catty smile "Pretty sure in your case, I could out-smart ya in your sleep. 'Sepcially with the way you handled things here, Genius."

Anger flushed through the character as they made a dive towards the girl but she quickly moved out of the way, clicking her tongue.

"Tut-tut, striking out in such a manner as that is SOOOOOO unbecoming of some of Vanellope's best FANS is it not?"

That smile.

That tone.

It was Taffyta Muttonfudge alright.

And they could not stand it.

Taffyta was not about to go down, standing firm before the characters "Should I go get Vanellope myself? Or would a few GUARDS work better!"

"URGH! Of all tha times ta follow ya…." The second vandal said in anger "'Come out an' have fun! It'll be easy!' ya said!"

The little racer couldn't hide the fact that she enjoyed being on the flip-side for once but she knew better than the let herself get carried away. If she did….it would be like old times again.

Old times she wished to forget.

"Well? Are you gonna come easy?"

"Who says I'm gonna do anythin' YOU say, ya lil brat?!" yelled the character "Ya should be thankful I didn't mark up YOUR waste of a kart!"

Those dark brows of Taffyta's furrowed, her frown deepening; so they were just as unrelenting as she had thought.

"Sure, fine." The girl said "Call my kart a waste, call ME a bully or whatever you an' everyone else has been doing. As long as it keeps YOU guys entertained and so sure of yourselves."

The girl snapped her fingers, the blue of her eyes looking colder and much crueler than ever.

"But I swear to all things sweet an' sugary, ya DARE make another mark on my friends' karts you're gonna be need your TEETH to spray next time! _**IF YOU HAVE ANY LEFT WHEN I'M DONE KICKIN' 'EM OUT!"**_

_**THAT **_was unlike Muttonfudge!

Something must have been struck because the characters had never seen the girl in such a rage before, at least not in a rage where they felt a little intimidated by her, her body posed and looked as if she were wiling and MORE than ready to strike at them.

"Hey now!"

"Sorry, but the time for talk is OVER! You guys made it clear that-!"

_**"TAFFYTA!"**_

The girl stopped mid-stance turning to see VANELLOPE standing before her!

"_**VANELLOPE?!"**_

Uh-oh.

The leader of the game looked SHOCKED at what she was seeing; was she really witnessing TAFFYTA of all people surrounded by various people, ready to fight?

Who could ever think of such a thing!

Taffyta was indeed caught in the act, not sure what to do or how to even respond but she knew she had to!

"A-Ah!"

"Taffy?!"

"I-It's not what it looks like!" the girl stammered, her legs shaking like jelly "I was just-!"

"W-What happened ta tha karts?!" Vanellope gasped, her face blanching at the sight before her "Th-they-! They look HORRIBLE!"

"Yeah, I am aware of that!" Taffyta frowned "And if you want to know the culprits, its these loser right here!"

"US?!" the leader of the pack said, their hands going to their chest "Princess, why would we do such a thing as THIS?!"

"PRESIDENT." Taffyta growled "If you were friends with her as much as you claim to be, you would know she's PRESIDENT you lout!"

"It's more than anythin' YOU'LL ever be, BULLY!"

"S-Stop!" Vanellope cried out again, foot stomping on the ground "Stop all of this!"

The room was silent for a moment or two as Vanellope caught her breath, looking around at everyone. What was the best course of action for this, what was she to do?

But most importantly, who was she to believe?

Taffyta knew she was on a thin rope at the moment but she hoped….

"Guys."

Vanellope was out to make her move!

"Just go…."

"What?!"

"I said, just go…." The raven-haired racer said, waving a hand "We can discuss this later."

"B-But what about the karts?!"Taffyta said as she pointed towards the mess "Look at the condition they're in! How do you expect the others to race like THIS?!"

The others followed Vanellope out of the garage, the President clearly not in the mood for such questions.

"They'll find a way."

"A WAY WITH THIS ON THEIR KARTS?!"

"Taffyta, its too late at night to wake the others. Just go home."

"But-!"

"Ya heard me." Vanellope frowned as she turned back towards the pink racer "Just go home!"

"Yeah, PINKY." Jeered the leader of the vandals "You better rest your head at home. Wouldn't want ta miss any sleep so ya can lose tomorrow at the tracks, eh?"

The anger grew inside Taffyta as the character waltzed away from the scene, the only thing remaining in the garage being that of the lonesome pink racer and the painted karts. She buried her hands in her face, quickly regretting that she had become as angry as she did and even more so that she had rushed the situation. Maybe it would have been better to get Vanellope right from the starting instead of taking on the characters on her own. At least then Vanellope would have a good reason to believe she hadn't been the one who committed the act.

"Just wait till THIS gets out…." The girl moaned "People are gonna spread this like FIRE and NOT the truth of it!"

As Taffyta was figuring out what exactly to do with the karts, Vanellope lead the characters inot the castle.

"Now tell me again, what happened?"

It was now story-time.

"We saw that kid, Taffyta? Whatever her name is…..guess she couldn't stand LOSIN' so much ta everyone else so she decided ta muck up tha other karts!"

Just as Taffyta had feared, the lies were starting to spin but the girl wasn't around to defend herself, as if anyone would listen to her had she been there in the first place. Vanellope shook her head, hands clutched.

"Taffyta? Vandalzin' karts?"

"Huh, I wouldn't put it pass the bully!" said another of the group "Ya know how she acted when TURBO was in charge! I bet she was programmed to be rotten to the core from the very start!"

"Ooooh, I wouldn't know…." The little racer replied "After all, wouldn't it be best of me ta, I don't know, ask for her side of tha story?"

"What's there to ask?" said the first figure "Taffyta Muttonfudge will ALWAYS be Taffyta Muttonfudge! There is nothin' good in there!"

"Heh, makes me wonder why ya put up with any of tha others here!" said another voice, trying their best to play up to the girl "I mean, they ALL HAFTA be jealous of ya!"

"Maybe you're right…." Vanellope said worryingly "I guess I should be thankful that I have people like YOU comin' ta help!"

"We would do ANYTHIN' for ya, Princess!" the first character said "Anythin' ta make sure that this game is perfect for ya!"

The girl smiled, stopping the group at the front of one of the large doors in the castle.

"I never knew there were such good people outside tha game. I mean, ya all know what happened ta me here."

"Yeah, ya couldn't get out because of THEM!"

"Them….."

The girl paused, looking into the eyes of her followers.

"You would protect me from THEM?"

"Of course!"

"You would do ANYTHING for me….against THEM?"

"Yes!"

A smile began to form of the girl's face, her head cocking to the side.

"You are so brave. You are so kind…."

As if getting Taffyta into trouble wasn't enough to stroke the characters' egos. To be doted on by Vanellope was enough to send anyone's heart a flutter.

"Princess, we're only doin' what is right." The leader of the bunch said, bowing. He could feel her hand resting atop his head, his pride only rising.

"I am such a LUCKY girl…."

The hand began to tighten its grip.

"To have so many people do such things for me!"

"U-Uh, Princess?"

"But things are not over yet!"

The character tried to move but to his horror, he found that he could not!

"_**P-PRINCESS VANELLOPE!"**_

"Oh, I am SUCH a LUCKY GIRL!"

"_**PRINCEEEEEE-AUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURGH!"**_

CRUNCH.

SNAP.

BLORP.

Those were the sounds made but no one else in the castle heard them. They were such disgusting, blood curdling sounds but those who were there to hear it could not escape to report on what they saw, on what had happened.

No, Vanellope was much too quick for them.

She had reached out, she had taken, she had CONSUMED.

It took only a few moments but what was once a crowd of FOUR was now reduced to ONE.

The little girl licked her fingers delicately, a few hairs blowing in the air around her.

"This arcade is filled with such bitter people…." The child said, trace of black lapped off her fingers with grace "Buuuuut…..but bitter is such a refined taste. A taste that I am sure the hive will appreciate once I 'clear' this little game here."

* * *

"Whoa, are ya okay Taffyta?"

The girl scowled as she peered over to Gloyd, bags under her eyes and her usually rosy-tan skin looking pale.

"…What now?"

"I was just askin' if you're okay? Ya looked like ya didn't get a lick of sleep last night?"

Sleep was the only thing Taffyta wanted, the girl have spent the entire night scrubbing and cleaning every sport of paint from the others' karts. Just as she had expected, Vanellope had don't a thing to clean up the mess leaving her the only one who cared about the reactions of the drivers should they see their vehicles displayed in such a manner. The boy knew he had a mistake in question the girl when he saw her eyes, the sight enough to make anyone's skin crawl.

"Er, forget I asked that. 'Kay?"

"Ugh, I just want this week…this month….I JUST WANT THIS ALL TA END!" Taffyta moaned, flopping over the steering wheel of her kart.

"Oh, don't be like that Taffy-Butt!"

The group looked over, Vanellope standing before all with a wide grin but unlike the previous days Taffyta was less than willing to return the smile.

"Not now, Nelly. I'm not in the mood for this."

"Then maybe some racin' will kick-start cha!" the other girl laughed, giving the strawberry racer a hard shake on her shoulders "Ya know its your favorite thing ta doooooo!"

Measure breaths, Taffyta. Measured breaths.

"Ehehe…." Taffyta laughed flatly "Y-Yeah. Maybe that's just the thing I need to wake me up."

"That's the spirit! We don't need people slackin' off, do we gang?"

The others just looked around, a few of them finally shaking their head in agreement, Vanellope looking on pleased.

"Perfect! Let's get those karts goin'! We have quite the rush waitin' for us!"

"I'm sure of it…." Minty grumbled, rolling her eyes as she watched Vanellope finally leave the garage "Gaaaaah-LEE! I know things have been lookin' on the up-n-up for us but Nelly is still actin' outta sorts for my book!"

"C'mon, Minty! Don't start this up again." Said Swizzle.

"I'm serious! She goes from buzzin' around about tha races ta actin' like a straight up baby-clone of Candy!"

"How could you even assume such a thing?!" said Sakura "Vanellope acting like King Candy?!"

"Its just that attitude." The mint girl said "That an' how she thinks she's tha greatest thing since sliced fudge, or how she thinks she can get away with pushin' people OUTTA tha track!"

"Minty, we told ya that was an accident!"

"Accident my striped BUTT!" the girl spat out "Tell me ya wouldn't think somethin' was up if she had done tha same ta ya!"

"Guys!"

Everyone looked over, Taffyta leaning in her seat.

"Look….we have a long day ahead of us and from the way you guys are going about everything? I can tell it's only going to get worse from here. Can we please just make it through one more day?"


	23. Chapter 23- Return to Doubt

Chapter Twenty-Three –Return to Doubt

Taffyta wasn't in the mood for anything.

She was tired, she was exhausted but the question for the sudden change was WHY? WHY was the girl suddenly returning down the path that she had long wanted to escape? Ever since the incident with the karts, the girl had put her guard up, had kept an extra eye open for anyone who thought it was their JOB to make things a continuous headache for the other racers. She was staying up later, keeping watch on everything around her and basically running her mind to the end in order to keep herself and her friends from getting caught.

But her efforts were taking a horrid toll on the girl, a toll that EVERYONE in the arcade could see but very few sympathized with.

With the exception of the other racers of course but then again…didn't they HAVE to?

"Urgh, Taffyta looks more rotten than a molded strawberry…." Shuddered Gloyd as he watched the girl slog around after another horrible race "Think she took a bite outta somethin' bad?

"Are ya tryin' ta say somethin' about my cookin', Mister Orangeboar?!" pouted Candlehead. Gloyd stuck out his tongue.

"Dummy, this ain't got nothin' ta do with your sickly sweet food."

"Then what do you think it REALLY is?" asked Rancis, twisting his curl between his finger "Has anyone had any luck getting ANYTHING out of her because I sure haven't! Each time I try to ask, she pushes me away! I haven't seen her this steamed since..well…."

Since those moods she had when Turbo was in charge.

"Urg, this entire game is muffed if ya ask me." Minty snorted, rolling her eyes "First everyone comes here just ta bad-mouth us every chance they get, then in pops Vanellope actin' as if nothin' is goin' on while she uses US as crash-test dummies an' now Miss Pink-Bottom is actin' weird!"

"YES, that is something we can ALL see." Said Swizzle "I just hope you don't try to help using your personal method of knockin' people's heads together."

"It works when its required…." Responded the girl "But maybe you're right. Even if I were ta say somethin' ta Taff? I think SHE would throw ME through tha game!"

And with that, the gang agreed to keep quiet on the matter but was there another reason for their silence? Were they afraid of what could be happening to their game? Either way, the visitors to the game could feel it leeching off every single one of them and for those who were bold enough, they knew how to use it to their advantage.

That bright, sunny ray of hope that Taffyta had been bringing forth had all but disappeared now as she had no time to look through the book AND keep watch at the same time. There were no more notes, no more ideas, no more words of encouragement to the other racer and slowly they too began to bear evidence of what could happen to one when they had no one else to support them.

It all began with the crowds, many of them getting louder and louder each time a victory was snatched from them. Vanellope's rules were still in place and the kids found they were suffering even worse from it than before. Soon afterwards even the game's own NPCs were being dragged into the mess, the little candy people being shoved out of the way and replaced by Vanellope's new fans. Slowly, slowly, slowly the entire face of Sugar Rush began to change and it was turning into a game where even the racer that belong to it no longer felt at home, much like Vanellope had been all those years ago.

And it wasn't as If things OUTSIDE the game were any better; wherever Vanellope went, the sentiment followed her and the racers would find themselves pushed around by people who now felt even freer to express their particular thoughts of the racers upon them. And Surge? Where was he during all this?

Who knew. The man always had the habit of showing up when he wasn't needed and going missing when he WAS.

Boy, did the kids need him now.

Did they need ANYONE.

The days were looking greyer and greyer, the kids finding the sweet races they once looked forward to being nothing but another chore, another thing they just had to get over with and as they slowly began to fade away, Vanellope grew brighter and brighter, lavishing in the victories and the praises she had gotten.

But the Candy Racers were not the only ones who were concerned.

* * *

"Where is Vanellope?" asked a certain Wrecker "She an' I were supposed ta meet for lunch HOURS ago but she left me hangin'."

"Oh, again?" said Felix, Ralph nodding sadly.

"Yes, AGAIN. That's the third time this week she's just up an' dropped our plans. She's never done ANYTHIN' like this!"

Felix, the always positive man that he was, tried to find the best I the situation but Ralph's concern was also his own. He had noticed that Vanellope had been acting more than off for the past few weeks and her attitude towards him wasn't as friendly as he remembered.

Felix knew that Vanellope liked to joke around and play, as any child would do, but lately her attitude had taken a rather nasty turn. She was much more crass, much more sarcastic and demanding towards various people in the arcade. While some of the bunch who began to attach themselves towards her did not mind, sometimes even ENABLING her behavior, Felix was very uncomfortable by how the girl was behaving both inside her game and out. She had even back-talked to him on several occasions when he had warned her about going too far, only to smile and explain that it was a 'joke'.

Felix knew what jokes were and what Vanellope was doing were NOT jokes.

"Ya should go an' talk with her…." The repairman said "After all, you're her best friend. She'll listen ta ya."

"I sure hope so…." Sighed the big man "But given what's been goin' on…."

Ralph made the trek to Sugar Rush, the entire land filled with various other characters who seemed to waiting their chance to meet the President of the game. Ralph was all for the girl getting her chance to show off her talent but he recognized some of the face as he struggled to make his way through. He recognized them as several trouble-makers in the arcade, the same people who had come to Fix-it-Felix Jr. on occasion to start trouble. Why were they waiting around in Sugar Rush of all places?

"Er, is Vanellope home?" Ralph asked one of the security guards, a little surprised to see that they said nothing as they lead him above others into the castle. The Wrecker could hear a few miffed complaints being thrown his way but they were cut off once the giant doors of the castle SLAMMED loudly behind him.

"GEE!"

"This way…" said a brown guard, leading the Wrecker down the hall. Ralph was silent the entire walk, eyes peering at everything around him. The paintings on the wall had been replaced, the ones that were once filled with King Candy now filled with Vanellope but there was something….ODD about the placements of the pictures. Vanellope's smiling mug was on them but….but it didn't look like her. Portrait after portrait he looked at this faces but he didn't see his friend, he didn't see Vanellope.

Who was the girl looking back at him?'

"The Princess will see you now…." Said the second guard, opening the door to the throne room. Ralph ducked, his large frame entering the room.

"RALPH!" Vanellope said happily, glitching towards him "Oh, it is so nice to see ya!"

"Yeah, same here…." Said the big man, scratching his chin "Er, say…."

"Yes?"

"Um, ya DO remember we had plans tonight right?" said the Wrecker "Like we were supposed ta have a few nights ago…."

The little raven-haired racer gasped, her hands squishing her cheeks "Oh, I plum forgot about that!"

Plum forgot?

"Sorry, Ralphie but I got so BUSY here!" the girl said, twirling on her feet "I mean, with tha racers, with the fans, with EVERYONE in this arcade! It's been a NIGHTMARE ta keep up with everythin'!"

"Yeah…about that…" the big man said, sitting down on the floor "Who are some of these guys? These new 'fans' I mean?"

"Just people around tha arcade." The girl smiled "They come ta ALL my races ta see MEEEE!"

The big man scowled a bit, trying his best not to come off to angry towards the racer "Yeah, they show up at other places too."

"Huh? What do ya mean?"

"What I mean is, some of those 'fans' of yours are TROUBLE-MAKERS, Nelly!" Ralph said, crossing his arms "Just last week, Calhoun an' I had to round up some of them when they were caught tryin' ta trash Tapper's an' a few other games!"

"Really?" blinked the girl, her eyes big and innocent.

"Yes! An' remember that whole thing that happened between us an' the Nicelanders? THOSE guys were part of group! Ya remember that!"

"Oh….I guess they were…." The girl responded, twirling her hair in her fingers and looking nervous "Uh….I guess….I guess since that was such a long time ago, I forgot who they were. But they were so NICE ta me…"

The big man began to cool down once he saw how upset Vanellope looked. Maybe he was playing the part of the over-protective dad this time around and all his worries were for nothing. He moaned, rubbing the side of his head.

"Y-yeah, I'm sure they were…." The big man continued "Urgh, I guess I'm just worried about ya, that's all."

"Worried about me?"

"Of course I am! I mean, after that virus took ya? I didn't know WHAT I was gonna do if somethin' HORRIBLE happened ta ya! I mean, even MORE horrible than what we saw before."

"Daw, aren't ya tha big worry-wart." Giggled the princess but the light that was in her eyes suddenly went dark, the girl shuffling in her seat "But….if you're so worried about me…."

Ralph leaned forward, looking concerned "Yes, what is it kid?"

"Ralph, I think tha other racers are actin' a LIL funny?"

The man backed away slightly "Funny? What do ya mean?"

"Well, ever since I've done some things ta make the game SAFER for 'em, they've all started being mean again."

Now Vanellope had Ralph's attention; he had always been cautious about the kids since the reset and his mind was starting to change when he saw what they were like when Vanellope was missing but he dreaded at the thought that they could start up their hatred for her again.

But wasn't that hatred only started because of Turbo?

As far as Ralph knew, the kids had no reason to hate Vanellope when the game was plugged in and in that small space of time before Turbo had done his dirty work to them, his friend hadn't spoken ONE BIT of the kids showing any sort of animosity towards her.

But as the rumors were going.

"I just don't know who ta trust anymore….." the girl continued "A few night ago, I ran into some guys who said they caught TAFFYTA spray paintin' on some of tha karts!"

"Spray paintin' tha karts?! With WHAT?!"

"I dunno but Taffyta blamed them an' then they blamed HER again an' it was AWFUL!"

"It…it sure sounds like it…" the Wrecker grimaced, not sure how to respond to such an incident.

"I don't know what ta do anymore…." The little racer said sadly, wrapping her arms around herself "I-I just wanna have fun again. I don't wanna be scared, Ralph. I dun wanna be scared!"

The girl was upset at the incidents that had occurred, Ralph feeling AWFUL that he had thought such things about Vanellope. She was nearing tears and someone had to do something to reassure her.

"Okay, if it makes ya feel any better….I'll keep a watch out for 'em." Ralph said, Vanellope instantly perking up.

"Oh, thank ya Ralph!" said the girl "Thank ya so much for helpin' me!"

"Eh-heh….sure, sure."

Ralph had come to Sugar Rush angry but now he was leaving confused. While he did want to keep up his end of the promise he had given to Vanellope there was something else deep inside him that just did not sit right. Even as he left the castle, Vanellope waving with a smile, he started to wonder if he had made a deal with the devil in everything. After all, the incident with the karts sounded all too suspicious the more he began to think about it.

Why did Vanellope wait all this time to tell him what had happened. If it were such a big break in, he would have been the first to know and he would of course had been the first to do something about it.

And then there was how Vanellope accused the other racers of doing such misdeeds. Again, his over-protective nature for the girl was kicking in but in the short amount of time he had seen the kids they hadn't gone out of their way to take out their own revenge upon the girl. Maybe they were still scared of her power, maybe they were waiting for the perfect time to strike?

It just didn't make sense.

"I don't want to race tonight…." A little voice said from around the corner. Ralph ducked behind a giant caramel rock, watching Sakura and Crumbelina walk through the main village, both girls looking so dull as their colors looked faded.

"But a'course, we HAVE to…." Moaned the green-tea themed racer "Maybe I should just pull a Taffyta an' pretend I'm sick or something!"

Crumbelina walked alongside the girl, her hands folded gracefully atop each other.

"I doubt that pretending to be ill will be of any help…." Said the caramel girl, Ralph feeling his spine tingle just at the sound of her cold voice "Besides, Taffyta is not faking her illness."

Sakura looked over "Ya mean ta say ya think she really IS-?"

"She has been hiding it, or attempting to do so…." Crumbelina continued "But she has been spending way too much time focusing on the troubles that have befallen this game of ours."

Ralph moved a little closer, hoping to hear more from the girls.

"Do not tell her, but I recognized those notes to be her."

"WHAT?!" gasped Sakura, her sparklers nearly EXPLODING in her shock "What do ya mean ya KNEW it was her?"

The little cookie racer shut her eyes, a finger adjusting the rim of her cap "I have known that little Muttonfudge for YEARS. There are certain things she cannot hide from us."

"Wow…so she took the time to write those nice things about us? Why?"

"For that, I do not have a clue. But I can only guess it was because she wanted to combat what everyone else has been saying about us."

Sakura frowned, crossing her arms "It was fun while it lasted but I guess I can thank Taff for reminding us that we're NOT terrible."

Crumbelina nodded in agreement "True, I do appreciate her efforts for that. But with what has been going on now? She is taking on much too much."

"Do ya think she'll finally let us in on everything, at least to take some of the edge off?"

"No….no, she won't do that. Especially if we try to FORCE her to do so." The caramel racer said sadly, her head lowering "Taffyta has a lot of pride and since Vanellope's return, that pride has been wounded. She wants to earn it back and she wants to earn it back on her own. She hates feeling weak, she hates feeling that her voice has been taken from her and since the return of the rightful ruler? We have seen that is all that has happened."

Again, Crumbelina's words scared Ralph a little, mostly due to how such a small and young girl could deliver them in a mature manner as she did. What she said though made him think; he knew that people were still going after the kids for what they had done but Vanellope had tried her best as well. She had tried to get the others to stop messing with the kids but even with her position, it seemed that HER voice was still unheard.

Ralph remembered ALL of that, especially as it was Vanellope's concern that had lead her into such trouble to begin with. She WANTED things to get better in the game and she wanted people to stop BULLYING the other racers.

The big man felt a sudden shock, as if someone had snuck up behind him but there wasn't anyone around him. What had shocked him was the realization of what was going on. There were so many conflicting accounts of what was going on but as he pushed all of them to the side, he returned to what Vanellope had told him in those days prior to her kidnapping. And then he went back to how she had behaved with him when he had met up with her.

She wasn't talking the same, she wasn't acting the same. The way she had told Ralph about the other racers, it had strange echoes to it, like he had heard the same act before.

King Candy.

The big man felt sick, gagging and nearly stumbling once the image hit his mind; his dearest friend acting like King Candy? Acting like him and EXPECT him to follow up on her, to obey her every whim and request? He had been fooled by the faux monarch before but it broke his heart at the thought.

No, no Vanellope couldn't be like this. Not after that she had been through, not after everything that had been done to her by the crazed racer. She couldn't have picked up his habits…

Or….

Ralph's mouth felt dry, he felt queasy.

What if…

No.

No, don't think like that Ralph!

It couldn't be possible!

He had to get out of there and without waiting another moment, the big man took off, not realizing that in his rush he HAD been spotted, spotted by two little racers.

"Was that…was that Mr. Ralph?" asked Crumbelina.

"Who else in tha arcade is big an' wears overalls like that?" said Sakura "Unless someone has been raidin' his closet."

Unbeknownst the to the two, they were not the only ones who had taken notice of Ralph's hasty retreat, a lone figure in the top tower of the Candy Castle looking on, a smile on her face.

"Heh, Ralph is so sweet….isn't he?"

Vanellope looked back in the throne room, tidying herself up in the mirror.

"But I do believe that something must be done. I do not think of friend believes our concerns."

The little racer smiled, her cheeks blushing brightly.

"But once he sees how things really are here, he will understand! I know he will!"

"Vanellope?"

The girl turned, Sour Bill standing at the door.

"Yes, Billy?"

"Er, it is time for the roster races. Your kart is ready to go."

"Oh, I ALMOST forgot!" the girl said as she bounded off towards the halls "I wouldn't want to miss a second of anything! Who would?"

The two then left the room, the doors of the throne room shutting loudly as the entire room was bathed in a sickly darkness. The mirror was all that was left, the shiny surface reflecting what little light peeked in from a crack in the curtains.

There is sat.

Alone.

Still.

Silent.

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!*

Silent.

"_HELP ME!"_

Silent.

"_SOMEONE PLEASE! HELP ME!"_

_Silence…._


	24. Chapter 24-Guilt and Blame

Chapter Twenty-Four- Guilt and Blame

Things were getting better for Vanellope.

Things were getting worse for everyone else.

The following day was cold and grey, hardly anyone came to the arcade and as such the characters inside were near to tears with boredom. The racers who had not made it on the roster had decided to stay in for the day, the grey clouds on the outside reflected inside the game.

It was such a dank and slow day, and for one racer in particular she was in no mood to travel anywhere.

Taffyta Muttonfudge lay in bed, the covers wrapped around her as she tried to sleep but she found it harder and harder to do so. The other night she had lost to Vanellope yet again, the crowd gleefully reminding her of her failures to catch up with the ruler of the game. She had left the track in less than a stellar mood and quickly dove into bed. Her heart was aching with anger but she was also so sad as well but she couldn't cry.

She didn't WANT to cry.

So ingrained were the jeers of cry-baby that the girl seemed to refuse to let herself shed any tears and even if she had, what reason was she crying for. By this time she had forgotten, her mind a confused mess of anger, jealousy and various other emotions brewing together to form a terrible stew that the entire arcade seemed to be all-to eager in trying out for themselves.

And she knew Vanellope would be right there with them and for that?

And for that….she began to hate the girl.

The little racer was familiar enough as it was with hatred but the anger she was feeling was something that had never formed before in her mind. She just couldn't stand it anymore; she couldn't stand ANYTHING around her. The game, the arcade, the fans, but most of all she couldn't stand Vanellope. It was if she were seeing something that everyone either refused to see or were blind to. This wasn't the ruler she had expected from the girl and yet this was what was facing and despite all her want and need to show Vanellope how she REALLY felt the arcade had made it loud and clear that Vanellope was untouchable, that she could do ANYTHING she wanted towards the other racers and her actions would be applauded for doing so.

Taffyta's heart was pounding faster and faster, memories, promises and so many harsh and hurtful words clouding her mind. She felt the anger burning deep in her heart, in her stomach, in her mind. Her limbs felt like they wanted to fly out, as if they wanted to do something but she just did not know. She had to restrain herself, she had to stop herself from moving.

Everything felt wrong, nothing felt as if it were back into place. Memories were glitching, she could only see and hear Vanellope's face, Turbo's face, King Candy's face.

All their faces, surrounding her. Laughing at her. The sounds echoed against her head, her teeth gritting, her blood boiling.

But it wasn't real.

It was all in her head.

"I-I need to sleep…." Taffyta moaned, her eyelids feeling heavy as her head began to rest within the pillow "I…I just want to feel better. I want to be happy again."

Taffyta didn't know how long she had slept but when she woke up, the sky was clearer, the air was warmer and the sound of birds tittered around her tiny home. She sat up, feeling only marginally better than she had the day before but seeing as she had lost the races from the previous day….

"I wonder if anything INTERESTING happened?"

The girl grabbed her bag and prepared to leave but as she did so….

*SQUISH!*

"URGH!" the girl cried in disgust, looking down to see that she had stepped in a large pile of smashed strawberry. She looked around, mouth dropping as she saw that the entire garden had been destroyed, each and every one of her giant strawberries SMASHED EVERYWHERE!

They were splattered on the walls, on the path, on the windows of the cottage! They were everywhere!

"W-what?!"

What more could Taffyta really say as she looked at the massive mess but it didn't take a genius to know what had happened. She growled, marching to her kart and taking off to the Candy Castle.

She had someone she needed to speak to.

The girl was off like a flash but as she rounded the corner to the castle she was greeted by the kart of a few others, the group of racers who hadn't made it into the roster.

"Guys?" the girl asked, pulling up next to them "What are YOU doing here?"

Rancis looked first, the boy having never had such a bitter expression on his face "Someone came to my house and destroyed every peanut-butter cup bush on my property!"

"And us?" said Nougetsia, her hands resting upon a weeping Adorabeezle's shoulder "Someone vandalized the sorbet snowmen statues at our house! It was AWFUL!"

"So you're not the only ones who got trashed?" said Taffyta, getting out of her kart "What the heck is going on here?! I go to sleep for a few hours and EVERYTHING is upside down! I don't even know HOW someone could have done such things without making noise anyway!"

"Then park your rear in line because we have a LOT to say to some of the guards here…." Grumbled Sakura "We've all been hit."

"ALL?" asked Taffyta "All as in EVERYONE? Even the guys on tha tracks?"

"Yup, just that Vanellope won't let 'em sort things out until after the arcade closes. Ya know how she is now."

"Yeah. I DO." The strawberry racer said in a miffed voice, crossing her arms "Guys, we're gonna be here for hours, I know it. Show me just how BAD all this damage is!"

It didn't take long for the racer to be shown around the areas where the others lived to see how BAD things really were. Houses had been painted, candy and plants had been crushed, little items and other things had been destroyed.

"Who-!? Who did this?!" cried Taffyta, the other racers looking sullenly at the damage.

"We dunno…." Said Gloyd "All we know is that…."

"That it just keeps getting WORSE." Moaned Sakura "Unngh, I don't know much more of this I can take guys! I can't keep up with people if they keep messing up my home! Look at it!"

"Don't cha think we know how ya feel?" growled Gloyd once more "But what can we do?! Its not like people are gonna actually HELP clean this up! Like they would care!"

"I-I guess not…." Sighed Sakura "I'm sure some people here would be more than happy to see our houses like this."

Taffyta was burning up inside, her anger growing but she could not let it out. She knew exactly what her fellow racers were hinting towards and the fact that it was so painfully true only made the girl want to seek out the vandals herself, reputation be darned!

"How about I help clean up?" said Rancis, looking for a broom "THAT would be the proper thing to do."

Sakura took one of her pink cameras out from her sleeves, scowling "Just lemme save a few of these for EVIDENCE first."

Yes, good; someone should keep proof since the trust the arcade had in the racers was already so poor to begin with and only shrinking more and more. Hours upon hours were spent as the small crew did their best to clean up the houses and when the races were over the others joined in, some of their candy fans joining them.

"This is so gross!" groaned Candlehead, mopping up the leftover gummy pudding that someone had thrown at her house "An' such a waste of perfectly good puddin'! How could someone do such a thing?!"

"Let's just get our houses back in order." said Taffyta, hosing the side of the tiny cottage with water "At least then we'll have some peace…"

Peace?

Peace was something that the racers were not going to get any time soon.

It only continued and continued, the racers finding more tricks and more 'surprises' left at their homes at the days went on. It was such a negative turn from the much more welcomed gifts of inspiration and happiness that Taffyta had secretly left but these were the gifts that someone felt that the kids deserved but as things went on, they were moving dangerously close towards more personal keep sake's for the racers.

One day Sakura found that her favorite lawn decorations, a little tanuki and a smiling fox, had been broken, their shattered pieces left strewn down the walkway off her home.

Candlehead's beloved paintings of cupcakes were scribbled upon with markers and pens, some unsavory messages left for her, welcoming all eyes to see.

Snowanna's found some unfriendly 'songs' written about her strewn everywhere.

Swizzle's lab was broken into several times, his work and projects trashed.

And it went on.

And on.

And on.

The kids were heartbroken but any attempts they made to go to Vanellope for help….

"Sorry, I'm busy!"

"Sorry, I have things to do!"

"Sorry, I have another race to win!"

"Sorry, but my FRIENDS need me!"

She was always gone, always somewhere else.

With her NEW friends.

The kids had no place to go, no place to turn. Their home was turning against them, not a single place for them to go where they felt comfortable or even alive. Trips in the station were always met with muffled laughter and side-glances but they did nothing to combat it. They took it, they took it because they felt there was nothing else for them to do.

Why fight when no matter what, you're always going to lose?

* * *

"I need ta talk ta Vanellope." Ralph said as he ran towards the trolley at the closing of another day.

"Whoah, hang up there!" said Felix "I'm goin' with ya too!"

"Don't tell me YA heard some things as well." Said the huge man, looking down at his partner worryingly. Felix rubbed the back of his neck, trying his best to hide his doubt.

"Not gonna say too much since I don't know how much'a it is true…."

"C'mon Felix, tell me!"

"Nelly's been out an' about so much that I haven't had a moment ta see her!"

"Same here!"

"BUT….all this fixin' an' repairin' that I've had ta do recently?"

Ralph nodded his head; Felix had told him of several odd jobs that he had to do but the small man had been so hush about it, as if he were afraid to tell Ralph the truth in what was really going on.

The big man already had a hunch and he KNEW he wasn't going to like it.

"Tell me Felix."

"When I was fixin' up that HORRIBLE problem with Tapper's washroom, I found some clothin' that had been shoved down tha pipes."

"Aw, MAN!" the Wrecker wrinkled his nose is disgust "REALLY!?"

"Yeah, but it was clothin' from SUGAR RUSH."

The big man froze, looking down at Felix "S-S-Sugar Rush?"

"It was strange. At each of those jobs, I found somethin' Sugar Rush related there but….but I didn't wanna think it! I didn't wanna think those kids were involved!"

"It…it all sounds too eerie if ya ask me." Said Ralph "Vanellope was tellin' me a few days ago about some, ahem, 'concerns' she had about those kids. That she said they were doin'stuff behind her back an' almost made it seem like they were bullyin' her again."

Felix looked on, his expression dropping "Ya don't think-?"

"Wait, wait, wait! Lemme finish…" the big man said "I'm suspicious….but not of whom ya'd think."

"What do ya mean, brother?"

Ralph rubbed his arm, eyes darting to and fro "It makes me sick even thinkin' about it but all of this seems too easy. Everythin' that has been goin' on, tha trouble in Sugar Rush? It feels like I'm bein' thrown around here an' there while somethin' BIGGER is goin' on."

"If then, what?"

"I-I don't know!" said the flustered Wrecker "That's tha problem with all'a this, Felix! Everywhere I look, I feel like somethin' is about ta drop but someone is gonna make me attack tha WRONG person! We already went through this with Turbo an' how he treated EVERYONE in this arcade like garbage, an' I sure ain't gonna do it-!"

"THERE SHE IS!"

The two men jumped as they heard a loud voice book in the station, a high pitched wail following soon after.

"NO! NO, I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!"

The two men say the red, white, and blue form of a racer bolting towards them, snow and tears trailing behind her.

"Hey, its that Winterpop kid!" said Felix, leaping in front of the girl much to Ralph's shock and catching her in his arms "Steady, steady! There's no need ta run…."

"L-Let me go!" the girl wailed, kicking and screaming in Felix's arms "They're going to get me if you don't let go!"

"WHO IS?!" said Felix in worry, looking up to see four older children stomping over towards the group, none of them looking at all happy.

"WHERE IS THAT LITTLE RUNT?!" shouted the leader, a girl in a purple uniform, cat-ears folded back in her rage "She's gonna pay for what she did!"

"But I didn't do anything!" sobbed the girl "I've never been in your game!"

"Hold on here, what is all of this about?" Ralph scowled as he stepped between the characters, glaring down at the children "I want ya ta know that no one is layin' a hand on ANYONE! Ya hear?!"

"But she ruined our stuff!" said another of the children, an orange-cat boy.

"What exactly are ya claimin' she ruined?" Felix said, trying his best to keep the peace "I-I can fix it, if ya require me to…."

"Look at this! LOOK AT THIS!" said the leader of the group, shoving one of Adorabeezle's caps right in Felix's nose "We found THIS in our station, along with EVERYTHING covered in sticky, melted popsicle run-off!"

"Yeah! An' when we went ta get the Surge about it-!" said the third of the group, the one colored in blue "Who do we find tryin' ta escape inta tha station but this lil _**BRAT!**_"

"But-! But-!" shivered the little racer "I wasn't even NEAR your game! I-I was just trying to get my hat back when it was stolen from-!"

"_**LIAR!"**_" shouted the leader of the gang, making the little racer shrink back into Felix's arms "LIAR! LIL SNOT-NOSED LIAR!"

"_**HEY!**_" roared Ralph "That is _**ENOUGH!**_ It's bad enough that ya guys are makin' all this noise here but-!"

"You can not tell me you're gonna deny the evidence!" said the leader "We found _**HER**_ hat and _**HER**_ sweet everywhere an' you _**EXPECT**_ us ta just brush it aside! _**ALL THE EVIDENCE IS THERE!**_"

It was true; everything seemed to be going against Adorabeezle at the moment but Felix knew the whole story had not been told. A man of his heart, he had felt that the racers were not as bad as the arcade had made them out to be, especially when he had gotten to know them over the course of time and the crime seemed so out of character with someone such as Adorabeezle.

He had observed her behavior from his visits, the smallest and shyest of the racers always hiding behind her big sister and rarely speaking, her voice even smaller due to everything that had been happening. It didn't seem LIKELY that she would do such a horrible prank to people, especially towards members of a game she claimed she had never been in but the evidence was stacked against her. They had one of her hats, they had her sweet, and they had HER.

She was shivering like a leaf in Felix's hold; either she was a great actor or she really was innocent, the entire ordeal nothing but torture to her.

"Er, maybe we should go see Vanellope about this?"

If Adorabeezle's skin was white as snow before then it reached a whole new color of fear when Vanellope's name was mentioned.

"No, NO!" the girl begged "Don't take me to Vanellope! Please, don't!"

"Why not?" Felix said in worry, the racer gripping onto his hand "Sh-she's your FRIEND! I'm sure she can vouch for ya!"

The little racer wanted to disappear; she wanted to melt into nothing and vanish from the entire arcade with the prospects that lay before her.

She knew this wasn't going to be good.

* * *

"_**ADORABEEZLE WINTERPOP!"**_

And how right she was.

Vanellope stood AGHAST before the girl, the others gathered in the throne room to witness EVERYTHING that was going on.

"But Vanellope…." Adorabeezle sobbed, her tears turning to flakes of snow and ice "I-I told you! I didn't do it! I wouldn't have!"

"But they have your hat!" said Vanellope sternly, looking angrily at the tiny racer "What more proof do I need?!"

"Wait, this isn't fair!" said Nougetsia as she stood up for her little sister "Beezie an' I woke up to find most of our gloves an' hats missing!"

"Yeah, so?" Vanellope scoffed, sitting back in her chair and studying her nails "What's that supposed ta mean ta ME?"

Ralph looked on, looking at Vanellope as she slouched in her throne, looking so disinterested and cold.

This wasn't right.

This wasn't her.

If something had happened in the game concerning the racers, Vanellope would have been QUICK to action, she would have been sitting tall, ready to act but she seemed so unconcerned that one of her friends was crying before her, too petrified to even put out an entire sentence.

"It means that someone could have come in and planted our things to make it look like we committed that crime! An' getting popsicle syrup isn't THAT hard!"

"Yeah, sure…." Huffed the princess "There is a trail of snowflakes leadin' from your cottage ta tha game, Beezie!"

"BUT-!"

"Listen Adora-SLEAZY Winter-POOP, if there is one thing I don't want in this game is guys makin' _**ME**_ look bad with your stupid pranks! We already have Gloyd ta take care'a that!"

_**"HEY."**_

"Vanellope, this isn't FAIR!" said Nougetsia "Ya know good an' well we've tried talking to you ALL WEEK about stuff goin' missing and then turning up in other games! This could be part of the pattern!"

The Sugar Rush items that Felix had found.

So the kids KNEW about it but Vanellope hadn't told him ANYTHING about it?

What was going on?

"How do I know YA guys haven't just LIED about this?" the vanilla racer smirked "I mean, you guys are GOOD for that…."

"Okay, kid. LAY OFF." Ralph said, stepping in much to the surprise of everyone "There has ta be a better way ta settle this? Somethin' we can do ta end all of this mess!"

"Yeah, send her ta the Chocolate-Geon!" said the leader of the other kids. Her partner in blue grimaced, patting her shoulder in embarrassment.

"_It's the FUNGEON."_

The leader looked over, confused _"Wait….FUNION?"_

"_That's a CHIP."_

Adorabeezle cries only became louder at the thought of going to the Fungeon "But I didn't do it! I DIDN'T-!"

"I HAVE AN IDEA!" shouted Felix, hopping in the middle "HOW ABOUT THA KID HELP ME CLEAN UP!? DOESN'T THAT SOUND LIKE A GOOD IDEA?!"

Vanellope gave the repairman an unimpressed smile, flicking her wrist "Alright, if it keeps tha lil diaper-baby from cryin' anymore. I can't stand it."

"An' us?" said the annoyed Cat-girl "That popsicle goo is probably glued EVERYTHIN' together by now!"

"Heh, do not worry cat-nip! I'll get everythin' in order for ya!" the princess said as she lead the group down the hall. The orange cat-kid looked back, shaking their head.

"I knew they were bad when King Candy was here. Didn't think they were still lil brats."

And with that Vanellope was gone, the other racers left alone with Ralph and Felix. Adorabeezle continued to cry in her sister's arms, Nougetsia trying her best to comfort her.

"C'mon, Beezie. Don't cry."

The little girl sobbed and hiccupped, rubbing her eyes as more snowflakes and ice fell "S-She didn't listen. She wouldn't believe me."

"I-I do if it makes ya feel any better…."

The ice-sisters looked over, Felix trying his best to keep a happy demeanor.

"W-What did ya say, Mr. Fix-It."

"Erm, I believe ya…h-heh." The man meeped, his voice breaking a tad "I-I mean there has been so much crazy stuff goin' on here lately. An' ya say all of ya had some things nicked?"

The group of racers looked at each other, almost as if they were uncertain to trust Felix but Taffyta took the first step, the repairman able to see the anger under her dark eyes.

"Yeah. Yeah, we had some things 'NICKED'." The girl growled "But as Nougie said, we try ta report it, it goes ignored."

"Oh, in that case I don't think ya wanna know where I found some of your tights at, kiddo…"

"AUUURGH! This is what's been goin' on since Vanellope came back!" the strawberry racer shouted, her arms going over her head "People won't leave us alone, they won't stop messin' with us but we try to do something?! DO YOU THINK THEY BELIEVE US?!"

"Holy-!" Ralph said as he moved towards the pink racer, hands nervously lowered towards her as if he were afraid she would maul him "Okay, kiddo. I think we got it."

"Do ya, Mr. Wreck-It?" the girl snorted arrogantly "Knowing YOU, I'd thought you'd be happy seeing us MISERABLE like this."

The man stood up, shocked at what the girl was telling him "Excuse me, but what?"

"I bet you're SOOOO happy to see the rest of us like this, huh? You're SO happy to see Vanellope making FOOLS of us and making the entire arcade joining suit. Anything to make HER happy, right?!"

"Taffyta, calm down luv." Said Rancis, resting his hands on her shoulders "Mr. Ralph was only asking us if-!"

"Oh, LAY OF IT CURLY-CROWN!" the girl spat back, Rancis tumbling into the arms of Candlehead "I've been CAAALM long enough!"

Ralph and Felix were astonished. They knew that Taffyta could react rather loudly towards certain things but this was a side of her they had never seen. She was….

Angry.

No, angry wasn't POWERFUL enough for what she was showing.

The girl was truly showing rage but how far would it go?

There was so much bubbling and boiling inside of Taffyta but she tried to remain as steady as she could, already regretting letting out so much in front of the others but having seen the display of how Vanellope treated ADORABEEZLE of all people was making all her efforts fruitless. She knew that people were lying about the racers but she knew that there was nothing that could be done as apparently Vanellope appeared to have no time to actually find out who the real culprit was.

No, she was much too busy trying to make up new rules to cater to herself, to scare the other kids with trips to the fungeon, to woo and wow characters in the arcade who once her back was turned would relentlessly go after the other racers, Vanellope never batting an eye at the attacks.

Taffyta knew her years of bullying Vanellope were wrong. They were crimes she would have to live with for the rest of her life.

But seeing everyone sit idly by as things only got WORSE?

Seeing her friends get pushed around and expected to sit and take it?

The girl could only guess that her code-box was alight in FLAMES at how angry she was but as she stood there, everything seemed to freeze before her. The others seemed to fade into the darkness that was swelling in her mind. She could hear voices, she could hear sayings. They were all so muddled and twisted but from what little she could make out, her body wanted to act upon them.

I-I-If ANY-10010-ONE says 101001-!

T-T-Taffyta! I'm 100011110-s-s-s-sO- 101 PROUD-!

F-F-FFF-010110011100-FI-! BA-10010101!

Whatever it was, it was still capped, it was still trapped and it was mixing horribly with the emotions she was holding back. Her view became clear again, her eyes on Ralph before him. Months ago, she would have been scared of him, she would have cowered in fear.

Not this time.

If anything, Ralph was the one who was scared, the girl looking as if she were ready to leap on his face and tear it to shreds.

"Kid?"

"Why don't you go talk to your special, PRINCESS friend?" Taffyta growled turning away "After all, you're IMPORTANT and SPECIAL! Everyone will listen to what the special-differents have to say!"

_***SLAM!***_

Everyone shuddered as the doors to the palace SLAMMED shut behind Taffyta, leaving the group of characters alone in their silence.

"H-Has….has she always been like this?" asked Ralph, goosebumps on his skin.

"Even at her worst…." Began Rancis "She has NEVER looked that angry."

"Sh-Should we do somethin'?" asked Candlehead, worry clear in her eyes "I mean-!"

"I-I think it would be best if ya guy let her cool down…."shook Felix.

"An' what about Beezie? What ar eya gonna do with her?" asked Nougetsia. The repairman ushered the tiny racer back towards her sister, nodding his head.

"She needs some rest. Tha poor kid has had enough fright for one day."

Nougetsia returned the nod and led the tiny racer back out the door, the smallest of the sisters only turning her head to give Ralph a final glance. The big man leaned against the wall, his head hurting and his heart racing.

"W-What is happein' here?"

Suffice to say, the night had ended POORLY for everyone in Sugar Rush. The racers went to their homes feeling unease, unsafe, as if they were waiting for someone to make their move against their house. Their eyes refused to shut even though their brains were crying for rest. Every squeak they heard, every bump beside them was a signal to them that something was going to happen, something TERRIBLE. They clutched their blankets and pillows, wishing that there was someone to hold them, someone to tell them things were going to be alright.

Like….

Like family?

The families they never had but the families they so desperately needed.

Vanellope seemed to be snoozing fine, the ruler of the game sound asleep in her room, a smile on her face. Everything was so calm, so peaceful, as if there was nothing wrong outside of the castle. The little racer yawned, opening her eyes a bit.

"Sweet dreams."

"_Y-You can't get away with this! LET ME OUT!"_

Who was that?

There was no one else around but a voice had spoken up. Somewhere in Vanellope's vast room the voice floated about but the girl didn't seem to mind. She only continued to smile, drawing the blankets closer to her.

"_You can't get away with this! You can't!"_

"Oh, but I have…." Said the princess, licking her lips "It was SOOO easy too."

"_R-Ralph and Felix will-!"_

"They can do nothing. They will do nothing. Because I have them right where I want them."

"_Why are you doing this?! What have I done?! What have we done?!"_

"Darling, sometimes bad things happen for no reason. You were just so tempting to take."

"_S-Stop this! STOP IT NOW!"_

"What's it like not being able to help?"

"_STOP IT!"_

"What's it like knowing that a glitch like you can't win everything?"

"_S-STOP IT!"_

"You were so confident, like you could defeat anything with that glitch didn't you?"

There were sobs, the figure smiling.

"Are you lonely?"

"_D-Don't talk to me!"_

"Aw, someone is a stupid diaper-baby!"

"_Don't call me that!"_

"You mean to tell me saying things like that ISN'T FUNNY?" gasped Vanellope as she got up, walking to the mirror which had now been placed in her room. She looked at the reflection staring back at her, poking her finger on the glass "But its so FUNNY when YOU do it!"

Something moved within the glass, something faded, something small. The crying began to increase, the sad echos of it ringing around the room.

"IT'S SO FUNNY!"

"No, its not!"

"Haha! But I'm just acting like YOU, Princess! I'M JUST ACTING LIKE YOU!"

"STOP IT!" cried the voice from within, hands banging on the opposite of the glass "_**SHUT UP! YOU ARE NOTHING LIKE ME! YOU ARE NOTHING LIKE ME AT ALL!"**_

The princess smiled at the mirror, teeth shining bright before her.

"I'm nothing like you…."

Vanellope raised her hand and pressed them upon the glass. The surface seemed to bend against her weight, her hand sinking further and further inside….

"You say I am nothing like you. Then why, dear princess, WHY do they ACCEPT me?"

Vanellope pushed even harder into the glass, the rest of her body going through the sheet.

She was now on the other side.

Binary and darkness surrounded her but she seemed unafraid by it all. She continued to smile, floating through the air without a care of fear.

Vanellope wasn't scared.

She had no reason to be.

"Little princess…." The girl cooed "Come out…."

"G-Get back!"

The racer turned, her eyes wide but they relaxed "Ah, there you are."

Who was Vanellope looking at? Who was she talking to?

Black hair covered with faded candies.

Turquoise hoodie, tattered and torn.

Pale, sickly skin.

Gloomy hazel eyes.

Vanellope Von Schweetz?

But how?

"Heh, its so funny to think you can scare me…." Said the floating figure as she placed her hands upon her apparent twin's chin. Vanellope tore away from the grip but the other girl grabbed her with violent force, shaking her "Look at me you worthless little, twerp."

"NO!" shouted the weakened Vanellope "NO! YOU'RE JUST A FAKE! A FRAUD!"

"And yet everyone here prefers ME to the _**DAMAGED**_ excuse of a racer." The brighter figure smiled, holding Vanellope's face in her cold, SHARP hands "Just so long as I act like the part, I can fit in and it seems to me that Litwak's LIKE someone as BRAVE as you!"

Vanellope scowled but between how sick she felt and the pain in her face, she could not fight back. Tears ran down her cheeks as she was held, thinking back to EVERYTHING she had witnessed happening inside her game AND out. The figure moved closer, their eyes mere inches apart.

"Look into my eeeeeyes…." The figure jeered, Vanellope watching as her reflection's eyes began to swirl and warp, the little racer covering her eyes.

"No more!" she cried "Please!"

"You can't escape it…." Purred the other girl "We are now LINKED and I would have expected someone like you to ENJOY the sights of this arcade that I have provided. I walk out, you see things from MY eyes, isn't that grand?"

Vanellope didn't respond, her throat hurting in rage.

"Didn't you enjoy the way I led our new 'friends' to do so many things around the arcade?" chortled the twin "I sure had fun teaching those racers a lesson, didn't you?"

"_I-It's not right. IT'S NOT RIGHT!"_

"But it was FUN!"

"N-No!"

"Isn't that what you WANTED to do, Princess?"

"N-NO!" cried Vanellope, her anger reducing her to terrified sobs "I never wanted this! I NEVER WANTED TO TREAT THE OTHERS LIKE THIS!"

"But all the friends you've made since your 'improvement'. How can you turn away from that?" cackled the figure "This arcade is so starved for a hero they'll gladly suckle the teat of anyone so long as they're forcing IMITATION Vanellope down their throats."


	25. Chapter 25- Night(Mares) into Dreams

Chapter Twenty Five- Night(Mares) into Dreams

And now it was night.

Breaking through their fear, the other racers manage to drift into a slumber but it was a sleep that was not at all warm or soft. Even as their eyes shut their bodies still ached and their minds still raced. It was if something in their code had forced them to go down, had forced them to shut their eyes.

"Isn't it all wonderful…." Said the imitation, her hands holding tightly onto Vanellope. Both she and the real racer drifted about in the endless void of the code-space.

Vanellope had only visited the room on occasions since she had been reinstated her rightful place but she had never seen it in such a manner before. She was drifting free in the void but it was a flight that filled her with fear and panic. If she were to be let go, she would drift into the nothingness of the void. She had found out early that her glitch would not help her, it would not steer her towards an exist nor or a goal but only drain her of more power, cause her own code box to fade.

And through it all, this creature, the one who had stolen her face was enjoying every moment of it among the other things she had been causing in the arcade.

"Code….Didn't your former king say something about it being the life-blood of games?"

King Candy.

Vanellope usually had a snide remark whenever his name was mentioned but she was just too tired, just too weakened to say anything, the only thing she was able to do was glare at her captor as she pulled her along the void. The imitation then stopped before the President's box, looking at it with hungry eyes.

"Here's your box…." She cooed "Heh, its so heart-warming to see people fussing over a lame dog, isn't it not?"

Vanellope could feel her skin burning, the creature obviously making insults towards the damage that had been done by the former king.

"Or at least what they think is damaged. Heh, these people are so gullible, just show them something flashy and loud and they will attach to it like flies to garbage. This place is PERFECT!"

"W-What do you want with us?!" Vanellope growled, tearing her hands away from the copy "What do you want from ME?!"

"You?" blinked the imitation Vanellope "Nothing too particular. To me, you're just another lump of code for breakfast. There's nothing THAT special about despite what everyone here keeps feeding you."

The little racer swallowed back, still trying to find any way to retort towards the creature but she could not. It had to be the fear, the fear and just how STRONG this character was. For the first time, Vanellope was faced with someone who seemed to have the ability to counter everything she could do and what was worse, she could wriggle her way into things that took Turbo many trails and errors to finally get.

Whoever or WHATEVER this creature was, she had a plan and on top of the destruction she was causing throughout Sugar Rush and the rest of the arcade she had plans for Vanellope, plans to make her suffer the most.

The imitation moved towards the code boxes of the racers, the inner core of the boxes glowing brightly.

"Like stars…." She laughed "Little sweet, sugar stars. But do you know the sad thing about stars, Princess?"

Vanellope said nothing but kept her eyes upon this filthy copy.

"Stars eventually burn out….its a shame but it is true. And one by one, we shall watch them burn out together. One little racer at a time."

"D-DON'T YOU DO ANYTHING TO THEM!" Vanellope roared as she leapt upon her doppelganger, the two drifting off and hitting a few random boxes in their flight "I-I SWEAR! I-if you do anythin' ta hurt 'em, I'll-!"

The faux Vanellope smiled again, taking her opponent's wrist so gently into her hands.

"Oh, what is this talk? Vanellope Von Schweetz acting so righteous, as if she cares about anyone else in this game but herself."

"Th-that is not true! I do care!"

"Do you?" smiled the copy as she floated over to the President's box "Shall I pull out some memories, shall I pull out your words?"

Vanellope paled, eyes twitching as the other moved her hands tauntingly over her code "N-No! Don't touch it."

"There are so many things stored in these small boxes….." the copy giggled "Things that as I have found through my own investigation seems to not have returned to your memory core yet."

Vanellope blinked, the copy seeing a spark of interest coming into her eyes.

"W-What do ya mean?"

"Oh, I thought Vanellope knew EVERYTHING." The copy looked about, her eyes fluttering "I mean, you sure ACT like you do. Everyone here TREATS you like you do."

The little racer could not help but feel a pang of guilt rippling through her as the copy continued to talk to her, smiling evilly. It must have gone through her memories and seen the mistakes she had made, the moments when she had taken off more than she could handle. But how could she have known of such things?

HOW did it get into her memories?

"Look….."

Vanellope looked over, seeing the clone clutching onto Taffyta's code-box. Vanellope began to clumsily tear her way over towards the clone but each attempt she made to get her was met in vain.

"N-NO!"

GLITCH!

"DON'T TOUCH THAT!

G-GLITCH!

The figure cackled, pushing Vanellope back with a rough hand "Keep up the struggle, keep up the fight! It only makes you use more energy and that's energy that goes RIGHT into me!"

It wasn't as if Vanellope couldn't FEEL that the imitation's words were true, her entire body racked with pain each time she attempted to glitch. The only thing that happened was a weak flash, her code breaking apart but nothing more.

She couldn't move.

She couldn't attack.

She was powerless.

"I can't believe people treat you like some sort of savior." The clone chortled, shaking her head "When facing up to a real challenge you wouldn't last a second. You're just some over-glorified chunk of damaged pixels that people are using as an excuse."

"A-an excuse?"

The clone ran her hands against Taffyta's code, her tongue lapping at the surface as if it were a sweet candy.

"Do you KNOW the things I have gotten away with just b wearing your little mug? The things people let me do because they feel that by letting you do ANYTHING they are somehow so much better than everyone else? I gave you the view, don't tell me you have forgotten already."

Vanellope huddled in the void, trying to push out the memories but even as she shut her eyes she could still see them. She could see the actions of the clone as she lead bullies into her game, bullies who had broken into the other racer's homes to steal and destroy, bullies who acted no better if not worse than former tormentors.

But they all did it for her.

They all did it for revenge.

**REVENGE.**

The girl began to sob, realizing just how things were turning in the arcade she had only spent so much time in. These people were not her friends, they did not care about her.

All they cared about was her title.

All they cared about was using her as a shield to do what they wanted to do.

To make other people miserable.

Making people MISERABLE in her name.

"But this is what you wanted."

"No, no its not!"

"Are you not the one who said they wanted revenge on all the racers?"

"I-I…I did!" cried the girl "B-But th-that was back when I was angry!"

"But isn't this the right thing to do?"

"**NO! YOU CAN'T HURT PEOPLE LIKE THIS!"**

"But it's not hurting people!"

"_**YES IT IS!"**_

"When you do it, it's okay!"

"_**NO! NO I DON'T WANT TO BE LIKE THAT! I NEVER WANTED TO BE LIKE THAT!"**_

"But Princess…" said the clone "People LOVE you this way. This is who they want you to be! This is how they want to see Vanellope Von Schweetz? Isn't it so wonderful to be so free, to do whatever you want?"

Vanellope cried out in agony, knocking her fist against her temples. She couldn't take any more of this mental torment, the clone playing with her emotions and her memories once more. It had happened before in that terrible nightmare when the girl was given images of what her kingdom COULD have been if she had followed the path of revenge as so many had wanted her to.

But she didn't want to do that.

Not anymore.

Vanellope knew what she wanted when she got back into the game and it wasn't the images she was seeing, it wasn't the wishes of pain she had made when she was cast out of the game. But her words were not being used against her, her face being used as an excuse.

Vanellope had become the nightmare she had always dreaded.

The crying got louder, the girl thinking about to how the other racers looked, how Ralph and Felix had reacted to her. She was hurting to many people but she could not do anything to stop it. Once more she was left to watch, helpless to do anything as someone took over her home, took over her game, took over her friends.

Why was this happening again? All Vanellope wanted was to race, to have FUN.

"This is what Litwak wants…." The clone said "Then this is what they will get. They will get the princess they so desire, the one who wants nothing but revenge, the one who does whatever she wants to others but it will be their downfall…."

Vanellope looked up, the imitation sneering down at her with clouded eyes.

"This arcade has shown to me that is the perfect base."

"The perfect base…for what?"

"To begin the infestation. Right here, right here in Sugar Rush! It will begin here and spread! It will spread because of all the carriers! The ones who want to continue on with their hate! The ones who want to continue to bully! I thrive on such feelings! I thrive on such emotions! We all do!"

"W-We?"

The creature turned, placing her hands on Taffyta's box "Do you want to see what nightmares are made of?"

"D-Don't do anythin' ta Taffyta!"

"BRATTY-TA is useless." Smiled the creature "Did you like that? I got that name from YOUR banks!"

Vanellope felt her body crumple over in pain again as she recalled throwing the insult towards the other racer many times before.

"_W-Why does it hurt?!"_

"Why does it hurt?" smiled the clone as she took a hold of Vanellope's throat "You mean to tell me that you have feelings aside for those who stroke your glitched pathetic little ego? Oh my, maybe Vanellope has actual feelings towards others who don't grovel towards her."

Before the girl could say anything more she felt herself THROWN into the box, a might rush of air hitting her face as she flew like a stone into a space of rapidly moving code and pixels. She screamed, the safety of the void no longer holding her up as she continued to hurtle down and down and down-!

"_**N-NO! HELP! SOMEONE HELP-!"**_

She looked over, seeing a familiar sight.

Sugar Rush?

Was she back outside the void?

Her mind preoccupied Vanellope didn't notice that she was falling near the strawberry fields but as she neared the edge…

"AAAAH-!"

**STOP**

**PAUSE**

Her nose was but a mere inch from the ground, her body stiff as a board.

"We're heeeeere…."

That voice, that sickly familiar voice.

Imitation Vanellope

From what little she could do, Vanellope glanced over towards the smirking clone. With a snap off her fingers, Imitation put Vanellope right side up again, putting her down gently near the front door of the cottage.

"Have a nice flight?"

Vanellope said nothing, glaring at her doppelganger.

"I brought you to the home of your BEST FRIEND." The clone smiled "Why don't you go in to say hi to her?"

It was Taffyta's house all right but what was the intentions behind her sudden appearance at the place? Was it real? Was it another dream?

Poor Vanellope had no clue.

"What are you waiting for?" the clone sneered, her features warping into something much more sinister "HAVE A LOOK INSIDE!"

Vanellope felt the hard push from the clone's hands, her face hitting the door and causing great pain to her lip and nose but to her shock the door flew open, the racer hitting the floor hard.

"GET UP!" shouted the clone, clicking Vanellope in the side and forcing her further into the room "IT'S JUST LIKE WHAT THOSE KIDS DID TO YOU RIGHT?!"

"_N-No! No!"_

"But everyone said they did this to you!"

_"Th-they lied!"_

"Up! UP!" snarled the clone "Up so you can see what your face has done!"

Another hard blew landing on Vanellope's side, the girl crying out for any type of help but as usual there was no one there to help her. Ralph couldn't hear her, the other racers couldn't hear her….

But she was in Taffyta's home.

Where was she?

"Mom?"

Mom?

Taking a breath, Vanellope turned on her side. She could see Taffyta walking out of her room, a worried look on her face.

"M-Mom? Daddy?" the strawberry racer said, hands clutching near her chest "Is anyone home?"

"TAFFYTA!" Vanellope cried out in jubilation, forcing herself up "Taffyta, thank goodness you're-!"

A hand reached out…

But it glitched right through.

The vanilla racer cried out as she phased through her friend, all hope of reaching out to someone fading. The clone cackled cruelly, enjoying Vanellope's failed efforts to get the attention of Taffyta.

"Isn't it so sweet when things like this happen?"

Vanellope could do nothing more but watch, standing around like a confused audience member as Taffyta looked around her kitchen, the raven-haired racer able to see the tears forming in her eyes.

What was Taffyta looking for? Why was she so upset?

"M-mom!" Taffyta called again "Please come out! Where are you?!"

"Mom?" gulped Vanellope "B-But we don't have parents! D-Do we?"

"It's so sad what that Turbo fella did to your minds…." Said Imitation, sitting in a seat next to the girl "You'd think when you did that oh-so-SPECIAL reset, EVERYTHING would be reset, right?"

The clone was taunting Vanellope again; clearly it knew more than she did at this point and to see her smile, to see that toothy grin….

It was driving Vanellope mad.

She couldn't stand it; that look of arrogance but as she looked back at it, she had to think.

"_D-Do I make that face?" _she gulped _"D-Do people feel like that when-?!"_

"Thinking to yourself won't hide your questions." said the clone, gripping Vanellope by her hair "We're LINKED. REMEMBER?"

"Ungh! STOP!"

"Poor Mutton-Flub." Said Imitation "She is so lost, so pitiful. You like that, don't you?"

Vanellope continued to struggle to free herself, her scalp feeling as if it were being TORN from her skull.

"A-AUUUURGH!"

"But shall we make this better? Shall we see how far little Bratty-Ta makes it in her dream?"

The real racer twisted and trashed around but the clone's grip upon her was too strong. She opened her eyes, watching the figure of Taffyta look up, as if she had heard something.

"M-mom?"

"_Taffffytaaaaaa?"_ came a low voice from within the house_ "Taaaaaafffyttaaaaaa….where are yooooou?"_

The strawberry racer's eyes lit up as she ran towards the source, joyful tears running down her cheeks.

"Mom! Mom, you do exist! You are real!"

_"W-What is she talking ab-?"_

"_Taaaaaaffytaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…."_

The clone rose off the chair and flew off behind Taffyta, Vanellope dragging along the floor by her hair.

"Y-You monster! Put me down!"

"Not until you see what I can do! Not until you see just how much I know about you and your little gang of munchkins!"

"What are going to do to her?!"

"I know what the little brat desires." Said the imitation, her lips curling into a cold smile "All these weeks I have watched her, have listened in on her dreams and wishes. She wants something much more important than gold, than popularity, than medals."

"_W-What is she-?" _

The entire cottage began to warm and change, the house feeling as if it were stretching above everyone. Vanellope cried out as the wood moaned, the glass broke, and the light dimmed but Taffyta didn't seem to take notice of ANYTHING that was going on, of anything that was happening around her. All she could see was a door; a door that towered over her but within it was the treasure she had been looking for. Her skin was pale and cold but a smile formed on her face, tears still falling from her cheeks. Both she and Vanellope could hear voices on the others side, voices that Taffyta felt were calling out towards her.

"Mom? Daddy?"

And then everything went silent.

Even if she knew Taffyta could not see her, Vanellope still held her breath as if she feared that if her heart beat too loud the girl would turn, would turn and shout. But Taffyta seemed to be too preoccupied with what was facing her. It was her ticket to truth, her ticket to realization, her ticket to proof that she and the others were more than what everyone in the arcade had said about them!

Behind this door…

Were her PARENTS!

She knew it! She could feel it in her code.

"Look at that smile…." Said the clone "Is it real? Or is it fake?"

Vanellope could feel the dread starting to well up inside of her; nothing good could come from this!

"Taffyta! DON'T!" cried the girl, reaching out "It's a TRAP! I-It's DANGEROUS! IT'S-!"

"But Vanellope….."

The little racer stopped, she froze.

Taffyta had spoken to her.

"_T-T-Taffyta?"_

Taffyta was crying, but no make-up stained her cheeks. The tears were clear and honest but Taffyta's eyes were full of sorrow, of madness and pain.

"Why can't I be happy too?" the girl sobbed "All I want is to feel real!"

"W-What?"

"_**EVERYONE PRAISES YOU FOR BEING 'SPECIAL'!**_" the strawberry racer screamed "_**WE HAVE NOTHING! WE HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!**_"

Vanellope rose to her feet, flabbergasted by what she was being told.

"B-But that's not true…."

"You have a KINGDOM. You have POWERS. You have EVERYONE in this stupid arcade who PRAISES and ADORES you! Who will go out of their way to make US miserable!"

The little racer had to take a step back, never having seen such hate in Taffyta's eyes.

She was terrified.

Was this how Taffyta felt inside?

Was this how ALL the racers felt inside?

"I just want a real family." Sobbed Taffyta "I want to know that there is a purpose to my life, to be something other than your stupid stooge! I KNOW I have a family, a family who actually LOVES me! They are what I need! Not YOU or anyone else in this backstabbing arcade!"

Vanellope felt her own eyes welling up, her throat tightening "_T-Taffyta. D-Do you think I'm a backstabber?"_

"_You care more about acting cool and getting people to bully us." _Hissed the girl "_You're no President to me. You're just another KING CANDY!"_

And then….

The door flew open.

_**HAHAHAHA! TURBO TASTIC!**_

There before both girls stood not one but TWO horrific looking Turbos, the man adorned in outfits that Vanellope had never seen before but Taffyta seemed familiar with. The girls screamed out in fright, Taffyta looking the most petrified of all.

"N-NO!" the girl screamed "NO! WHY ARE YOU HERE?!"

"TAFFYTA DARLING!" said the first Turbo, the one in the dress "TAFFYTA DARLING!"

"WHERE IS MY DAUGHTER!" cackled the second, suit wearing Turbo "HAHAH! WHERE IS MY FAVORITE RACER!?"

"Taffyta watch out!" cried Vanellope but the girl was too late, the massive hands of Turbo grabbing Taffyta and pulling her into the void. The girl shrieked and hollered as she was trapped, her legs kicking but Turbo did not let go, he only drew her closer and closer into the pit of darkness and dread.

_**"YOU ARE NOTHIN'!"**_ the grey racer said _**"YOU WERE NEVER NOTHIN' YA LIL BLIGHT!"**_

Taffyta's cries grew louder and louder, drowned out by the loud moan and cackles of so many in the room.

"B-But! But I have a family!" screamed Taffyta "I-I have parents! I have-!"

"You are NOTHING!" spat Turbo, his long tongue wrapping around the little girl "You know it! Everyone in the arcade knows it! ACCEPT IT! ACCEPT THAT YOU HAVE NO PURPOSE! THAT YOU CAN ONLY BE A BULLY!"

"_**STOOOOOOOOOOOP!"**_ cried Vanellope trying to reach the girl but without her glitch she could do nothing but look on in horror.

**BULLY!**

**USELESS!**

**YOU'RE NOTHING!**

**JUST LIKE ME!**

_**JUST LIKE MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!**_

It wouldn't stop! It just would not stop!

Vanellope let out a horrific scream as everything broke around her, the girl falling into the empty void.

But remember darling….

"Taffyta!"

This is what you wanted.

"Taffyta, help!"

They can't help you.

"Oh gobs, STOP!"

Because this is all…

Just.

A-!

* * *

"_**NIGHTMARE!"**_

Taffyta Muttonfudge.

The girl awoke in a sweat, her body shaking and her blankets clutched to her chest. Never a dream as such had passed through her head. All she could remember was the longing she felt, the longing of finally finding out the truth but then in the last moment it was ripped away from her, replaced by images of Turbo.

And Vanellope?

Was Vanellope in her dreams as well? She…she remembered yelling at someone, shouting towards another to leave them alone, that she only wanted to be happy again.

That's all that Taffyta wanted.

She wanted to be happy again.

The girl buried her face in her hands, crying weakly.

"W-What….what is happening to us?"


	26. Chapter 26- Final Lap

Chapter Twenty Six- Final Lap

"Tammy, ya need ta come with us tonight." Felix said as he took ahold of his wife's hand and pulled her near the trolley.

"Hang up now, Felix. What's the problem?"

"I-I couldn't tell ya tha EXACT problem love but…."

The little man lowered his head, worry all about his face.

"Look, I think we might need ta have a talk with Nelly. She's been actin' all weird and such since ya brought her back from tha cords."

"Does this have anythin' ta do with tha trouble she's been causin'?"

Felix looked up, his eyes wide "Ya KNEW?!"

"A'Course I knew!" scowled the marine "I told her straight forward not ta act up an' she gave me her promise that she would stop!"

"Well, a lotta good THAT did." Said Ralph, walking past the two.

"Big guy?"

The big man sat in his seat in the trolley, eyeing the couple before him "I love tha kid. I relaly do but…."

"But what?"

"Yeah, we need ta talk ta her." The big man nodded "I'm all for her standin' up against bullies an' all that but what's been happenin' lately goes beyond that!"

The three adults began their trek to Sugar Rush, the game even more packed then before. Calhoun looked about the mass of characters, finding it harder to spy the President than she thought.

"Where in tha…." The woman growled "Okay, gimmie ten seconds an' I'm climbin' tha rafters!"

"Tammy, stay down!"

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" blared the voice of the announcer over the intercom "PREPARE YOURSELVES FOR A SWEET TREAT OF A RACE!"

The crowd flew into a fury of excitement, Ralph and the others still standing around in hopes of seeing their friend somewhere.

"Do ya see her in tha line up?" asked Ralph.

"Nope! I-I can't spot her!" responded Felix.

"C'mon ya two, we can get a better view from the front." Said Calhoun as she led the two men towards the front of the racing gate. It didn't take long for them to be swallowed up by the emotions of the crowd or spot just how badly the other racers looked. Upon having their names announced on the intercom, what was once a sea of cheers turned into a storm of boos and other jeers. Felix winced at the sound, pulling his hat down in fear.

"Geeze, tough crowd!"

"I'll say." Huffed Calhoun, dodging a few items that were being thrown from the stands "I know I like a tough race but this is pushin' it!"

Pushing it weren't the words Ralph was thinking about as he witnessed the way the crowds had turned on the other racers. It was shocking to see that only weeks prior everyone was having FUN in Sugar Rush but now things that gotten nasty, had gotten SOUR. The kids, their heads hanging low and nearly all of the brightness drained from them, slugged their way to their dingy looking karts, not even making notice of the trash that rained down upon them.

"This isn't right…" Ralph said to himself "This isn't right!"

He might not have thought so but did anyone else care?

Out-of-game items were tossed left and right towards the center of the track, hitting the karts and often times the racers as well.

"HEY!" shouted Calhoun "What do ya guys think you're doin'?!"

But no one heard her. They only wanted to continue.

"Is this tha problem ya were talkin' about, Felix?" the marine said down to her husband. The repairman gulped, shaking his head.

"It wasn't THIS bad!"

"AND NOW!" called the announcer "PRINCESS VANELLOPE VON SCHWEETZ!"

The booing and cursing that had gone on for so long suddenly transformed into outright cheers and applauds, Vanellope driving by with her shiny kart and a grin on her face.

"Thank you, thank you everyone!"

The crowd might have been taken in by the girl's actions but for the other three right in the middle of it.

"Vanellope?" blinked Calhoun.

"Yup." Said Ralph "Our Vanellope."

The girl took the microphone in her hands, looking lovingly at the crowds "Now, settle down everyone! Save all that energy for when the race begins!"

_**VANELLOPE! VANELLOPE! VANELLOPE!**_

The crowds were chanting her name, singing her praise and the little racer could not have felt or looked any better.

"I can tell ya guys are ready!"

"WE ARE!" shouted someone from the crowd.

"TEAR 'EM UP!" said someone else.

"Weeeeell…..I guess we mustn't keep ya cuties waitin'! We have a race ta run!"

"Nice ta see that she has some enthusiasm…." Said Calhoun "But I find it kinda off she's not a blip worried about everythin' else that's goin' on here."

"An' here I am makin' myself sick over it all…" moaned Ralph "I tell ya, Sarge. All of this is makin' tha hair on my neck raise."

"Shh, shh…." Hushed the marine "I wanna take a look at this for myself."

**THREE!**

**TWO!**

**ONE!**

**GO!**

And they were off, the racers speeding off like light down the track but of course Vanellope kept her clutches on the lead while the others sputtered and chugged behind her.

"Mmm, a wonderful sight!" someone called above the trio of adults "Can't wait to see how bad Vanellope busts up those boogers this time!"

To say the least, the crowd were correct on their first assessments. Vanellope was indeed busting up a few of the racers, using her advantage of lead to grab every power-up she could. She knew that the rules she had put in place had finally worn them down to the bone and their energy was much too low to fight back…

"_Heh, let's have a lil fun, EH princess?"_

The girl sped ahead, getting another power-up in her clutches.

**SUGAR SHARDS!**

A cannon appeared on the back of the girl's kart and with one good aim she NAILED Jubileena for a direct hit, the girl screaming as the sharp blades of sugar began to cut around her kart, destroying it right then and there!

"JUBI!" shouted Citrusella, watching her sister take a spin and drive right into a wall. It was bad enough that the cherry racer had been taken out so early but the laughter that followed from the crowd was indeed the cherry to add on top of the bitter sundae that had been built.

"Look at her squirm!" laughed someone, character pointing and jeering at the screen as images of Jubileena attempting to crawl from the remains of the kart flashed before everyone's eyes. The laughter began to sound like barking echoes of maddened dogs around the trio of heroes, feeling less and less comfortable that characters would laugh at a child in such a manner, especially when it was becoming more and more apparent that the attack this time was much harsher than normal power-ups.

Felix shrank down, wanting to leave the crowd "Uh, I'm not too sure that I like this anymore…."

Calhoun looked on, scowling. She knew that the races could be TOUGH but for the ones she had witnessed the kids always picked themselves back up, they always battled to the finished with strength and power.

Whatever she was witnessing now was not the same thing she had seen during those early days. Jubileena finally noticed the camera panning on her, guessing that the crowd was looking at her. She teared up, running away with the camera in hot pursuit.

"HAHAH! Lil dumb brat!" laughed someone "Go home and cry to your mama! Oh wait, NONE OF YOU HAVE ANY!"

"HEY!" shouted Calhoun, her eyes aimed at the voice "We'll have none of that here! NONE OF THAT!"

"An' what are ya gonna do about it?" the character said, seemingly unafraid of the marine "Screw those kids. They deserve everything they get!"

*BOOM!*

Another large explosion rocked the game, the group seeing Snowanna getting flung from her kart right into a fudge pit and as expected the crowds only grew more and more excited at the melee, enjoying the sights of the other candy racers being served their desserts by Vanellope.

But if everyone else was enjoy it, why weren't the racer's friends?

Ralph felt his skin crawling as the camera zoomed over to Vanellope, the man seeing her face through the helmet. Her smile, her eyes, they were all wrong. Even her driving skills didn't match the girl she had befriended not too long ago.

Everything was WRONG.

But he just could not figure out WHY.

As for the remaining racers, the battle had continued. Vanellope remained in the lead and there was still plenty of ground to cover before the first kart made it across the finish line.

"Keep up!" Vanellope cackled back to the others, making a few dangerous moves of her own to taunt them "Unless ya think you're gonna do somethin' WRONG!"

Minty was only four cars down from Vanellope and she could see the sickening glint as if she were mere inches from her. The little hard-candy racer was at her wit's end by now, having had enough of the 'President's' behavior.

"_**DAT'S IT!"**_ the girl roared "Rules or no rules, this trollipop is goin' DOOOWN!"

"Minty, NO!" cried Sticky, putting her foot to the pedal to catch up with her sister but Minty had already taken off. The engines of her kart were roaring loudly as she finally crashed right into the back of Vanellope.

"AAAAUGH!"

"OH NO!" cried the announcer, the crowd gasping in shock "Looks like Minty Zaki is starting to unleash the spicy-beast inside!"

The crowd began to boo at Minty's actions but she didn't seem to care. They were much too far away at this point for any sounds of the crowd to be heard but that didn't mean they were alone.

WHOO-WHOO-WHOO-WHOO!

The Candy Police!

The rules were still in play and Minty had violated one of the top tier of the list; Don't bump!

"Puh, do ya think I care?" the green girl growled as she took hold of the wheel. She saw the police baking up near her but already her mind was working on what to do.

"Hey, you know the rules Mr. Zaki!" said the first police.

"Yeah, I do!" growled the girl "AN' YA CAN SHOVE 'EM!"

Minty hit a hard left, her kart fish-tailing in a semi-spin and KNOCKING the two cops off her trail, both being flung into a large dollop of sweet-cream.

"OOF!" cried the first, wiping the cream from their eyes "HEY!"

"Sorry but this is a race, not a kiddie game!" snarled Minty, her eyes going back to Vanellope.

Back with the crowd, Calhoun jumped back as she had not expected one of the candy kids to perform such a move.

"WOAH!"

"Ya okay, babe?" Felix asked. Still in disbelief, Calhoun rubbed her eyes.

"Man! That was a HD move right there!"

"Whatever move it was, tha crowd isn't too happy about it." Said Ralph, the others showing that he was indeed right. Minty's actions were not meet with happy sounds but she continued on, the others following her.

Vanellope and Minty were now tied for the lead but Minty just wasn't thinking about taking first prize. Like Taffyta, the little bundle of strength had kept her own anger bottled up but this time, being a lady about it wasn't in her mind.

"I WANNA TALK TA YA, VON SCHWEETZ!" growled the girl "An' this time without your stupid rules!"

"How can we have time ta talk when there is a RACE goin' on, ZAKI?" Vanellope cackled, ramming the other girl into a wall, her kart grinding against the hard surface.

"YEAH VANELLOPE! TAKE HER OUT!" shouted another member of the crowd.

"SHOW HER WHAT A REAL RACER IS MADE OUT OF! SHOW HER!"

Vanellope was strong but Minty was stronger. She looked down at her inventory, spying that she had one power-up saved in her stock.

"Here, maybe THIS will get rid of the SOUR LOOK, PRINCESS!"

The girl in green jabbed the button, the front end barrels of her kart glowing.

_**SMOOTH AS MINT!**_

Out came a deluge of mint syrup, the goo coating the roads right under Vanellope's tires and causing her to lose friction against Minty. She screamed, her kart squealing back onto the road which allowed her opponent to free herself, returning to her place on the road.

"GUYS, C'MON!" shouted Minty as she signaled the others "Ya better catch up before Vanellope does!"

"Well, this is a sudden turn!" said the announcer "Looks to me like Minty Zaki has opened a hole for the others to go through? An' here I thought she was gonna take the lead for herself!"

"What is that kid doin'?" Ralph said in worry.

"I dunno but somethin' tells me tha results aren't gonna be GOOD!" said Felix.

The race only got hotter and hotter and after losing her first place move, Vanellope was SEETHING with rage.

"Stupid lil NOBODIES!" the girl said, glitching faster than ever _**"I'LL SHOW YOU WHO THE REAL CHAMPION OF THIS GAME IS!"**_

Vanellope moved in, taking no caution into how hard she began hitting the others. It didn't matter who it was, just so long as she could knock them out of the way and regain her spot. Taffyta drove up next to Minty, the girl still angry.

"Minty Zaki, what did you do?!"

"What ya guys have been too _**CHICKEN**_ ta do for DAYS!"

"Look, if you're talking about what Vanellope has been doin', we-!"

"DROP IT MUTTONFUDGE!" shouted Minty "After what she did to Tori?! I ain't holdin' nothin'-!"

_***KA-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!***_

A MASSIVE explosion rocked the tracks as Minty seemed to erupt into a giant mushroom of fire and smoke! Taffyta cried out, nearly losing control but she regained her hold on her kart and as she watch back….

Nothing

There was nothing left

The remains of Minty's kart flipped and spun down the track, great chunks of it going off everywhere and hitting several of the back racers, causing them to crash as well!

Sakura was nailed in the middle, her kart spinning out of control and flying off the side of the cliff, Nougetsia was CRUSHED between a crag and her car, Gloyd's kart cut in two!

It was a slaughter of sugar as far as everyone could see.

_But the crowds celebrated it_

"What the-?!" cried Felix, turning blue in the face "_**SOMEONE HELP THOSE KIDS! THEY'RE HURT!"**_

But no one came, no one showed any signs of concern. All the did was LAUGH. They laughed and laughed at what they say, celebrating Vanellope's actions for it had been HER.

She had been the one to shoot off the rocket

"What are you blubbering about?" someone said in a harsh tone towards Felix "These kids are used ta being thrown around!"

"Not like THIS they are not!" the little repairman said, losing his temper "You know this is wrong, you cold-hearted-!"

"Felix, wait!" Ralph called, point towards the screen "Some of those kids are left!

Indeed, there were a few racers who stuck around from the massive crash and it was a classic fight if ever.

Vanellope Von Schweetz versus-!

Rancis Flubbutters!

Candlehead!

And of course-!

"Taffyta Muttonfudge!" the vanilla racer smiled "I'm shocked that ya managed ta stay in tha race this long! Good ta see ya still gotta lotta kick in ya!"

"I don't know what ya did…" growled Taffyta, her eyes shooting towards the racer next to her _**"BUT HOW COULD YOU?! HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO THEM?!"**_

"All's fair in love an' racing…." The other girl smirked "Is it MY fault that ya can't keep up with me?"

"THAT'S IT!" cried Taffyta as she attempted to ram Vanellope into a wall but the girl GLITCHED out of the way, laughing as loudly as the crowd were at the strawberry racer's flub. Pink Lightening CRUNCHED against the wall, its driver scrambling to recover before anything else happened.

"Oh, OH!"

"Watch out Mutton-Flub!" said Vanellope "Wouldn't want a prissy lil BULLY like yourself messing up that DISASTER of a DYE-JOB would ya?"

"Vanellope, this is too much!" Rancis cried as he pulled up alongside the two "For game's sake, what are you trying to-?!"

"SHUT UP, BLONDIE!" sneered Vanellope, hitting another button on her power-up collection.

**JAW BREAKER JAM!**

Rancis had no time to react as Vanellope began pelting him with the rock-hard candy, his focus lost on his steering and in that split second-!

"W-Wait, NO!"

Off the side of the cliff he went, his kart crashing horribly on the rocks below.

"Rancis!" cried Candlehead as she watched her friend go over "Oh, GOODNESS! RANCIS!"

"Vanellope! You can't do this to us!" cried Taffyta.

"Who says I can't?! I RULE THIS ARCADE! I CAN DO WHATEVER I WANT!"

"No, you can't!"

"Oh YES, I can!"

Taffyta was seething with anger, so much so that she couldn't think. She wanted to get rid of that face before her, get rid of the laughter, get rid of EVERYTHING.

This is what the game had been reset for?

This was the ruler that Sugar Rush was supposed to have?

Vanellope?

This was BETTER than King Candy?

No.

No, this wasn't right!

THIS WAS ALL WRONG!

Vanellope continued to laugh as she glitched back and forth, trying to make Taffyta dizzy but…

But….

Taffyta's eyes.

Her reactions.

She looked at Vanellope darting back and forth but…but she could see it. She could see the move.

SHE COULD SEE THE OPENING.

"You wanna play SWEET?" growled Taffyta "THEN STAY SWEET, PRINCESS!"

The girl a button on her control pad and launched a massive strawberry seeker at her. Vanellope MIGHT have been flashing the glitch to try to fool the girl but Taffyta was flashing something else, flashing something that even she could not explain. All she knew was that she could pin-point the second she needed, the second she needed to hit Vanellope right in the back of her head and send her skidding into the wall.

"_**GYAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"**_

_***SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-!***_

"Ain't so special NOW, huh?" Taffyta shot at the raven-haired racer, speeding off.

At that moment she felt as angry and as unstoppable as Minty had. She didn't want to admit it but there was some relief that came from releasing all that fear and anger but she knew it wasn't going to last long. If she wanted things to stop she had to get to the end of the race and hopefully in one piece!"

_**"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGHR!"**_

_***CRUNCH!***_

"_**KIYAAAAAAAA!"**_

"I am NOT losin' ta a nobody like YOU!" Vanellope roared, ramming the back end of Taffyta's kart again and again "I AM NOT LOSIN' TO A NOBODY!"

_**"I AM SOMEBODY!"**_ Taffyta yelled, eyes showing forth the madness within _**"I'M MORE THAN YOU'LL EVER BE! AT LEAST I DIDN'T NEED SOME STUPID ACCIDENTAL POWER TO MAKE UP FOR BLAND SKILLS!"**_

"YOU ARE DEAD!" cried Vanellope "YOU ARE-!"

"Vanellope! Taffyta!"

The two girls cried out as another vehicle forced its way between them.

Candlehead!

"C-Butt!" gasped the strawberry racer "W-What are ya-!?"

"I DUNNO!" cried the little candle-headed sobbed "Just-! Just get outta my way!"

"No, YOU get out of MY way you empty-headed dunce!" screeched Vanellope, looking down at her power-up cache "What do I have ta do ta get you lil cavities away from-!"

"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER!"

Another hard hit was dealt to the President of the game, Taffyta crying her best to avoid Candlehead in the fight but the three girls were locked in together! Somehow, Candlehead had snagged her bumpers with the other two and all three were careening towards certain doom if they did not free themselves. Granted, Taffyta's only focus for the moment was VANELLOPE, trying to find some way to get her away from her and to prevent her from using any other power-ups.

"OH MY LAND!" cried Felix "Things have never gotten THIS crazy before!"

Calhoun was rocking on her feet, not sure whether to jump out and help the three "Darn it, darn it, DARN IT! I know what's gonna come from this if they don't unlock!"

"Dare I asked?" ralph gulped nervously.

Without thinking twice, Calhoun jumped upon her hover-board and flew off towards the three.

"Tammy, WAIT!"

* * *

"Someone, HELP ME!" wailed Candlehead, her controls unresponsive on her kart.

Taffyta was unable to move anywhere near her friend but even if she could she knew that Vanellope would move in and prevent her from getting close. The vanilla racer was red with rage as she turned this way and that to dislodge herself from the other girls.

"Always slowin' me down! Always gettin' in my way!"

"Candlehead!" Taffyta shouted over the deafening roar of the engines "You might have to eject!"

"But we're too close together!" the cake-themed girl said in fare "If I let my kart go unattended, it'll roll! WITH YOU TWO UNDER IT!"

"Just take the chance, C-Butt!"

"No, don't do it!" cried Vanellope "Unless ya wanna spend ONE HUNDRED GAME CYCLES in tha Fungeon!"

Candlehead began to wail louder "No! Anythin' but that!"

"Don't believe her, Candlehead! Just go! Go for your own safety!"

"Kids!"

The girls looked up, seeing Calhoun racing near them. She held out both her hands towards the bunch, signally them to move forward.

"Jump! Just jump an' I'll catch ya!"

"Move out of my way, SARGENT!" Vanellope barked, slamming her hands on the steering wheel.

"Kid, this is too dangerous! No race ain't worth th-!"

"I SAID GET BACK!"

And with that, Vanellope shot Calhoun in the face with a cream pie.

"YAAAUGH!"

"TAMERA!" cried Felix in horror, Ralph looking on equally as stunned.

"No….no, she didn't just do that…." The Wrecker meeped, his lips floundering to say anything more.

Luckily for Calhoun, the vehicles had made their way towards the final turns of the track where many cupcakes lay. Her view obstructed, the Marine had no control over where she was going and ended up landing face first into a giant pastry, its fluffy interior saving her from what was to have been a much terrible fate had she landed on the track.

"She's okay!" Ralph looked on, watching the woman kick her legs in the air before pulling herself free. Felix was hyperventilating at this point, white as a sheet as he leaned on the rails for support.

"HUU! HUU! T-Tammy! Alive?!"

"Yes, yes she is!"

"Blauuuuurgh…" Felix moaned, falling right on his face in the stands.

Calhoun might have been safe but what about the others? Their karts were burning up from the friction and power they were putting on each other and if they didn't cross the finish-line, they would surly EXPLODE first!

"I'm warnin' ya two…." Vanellope hissed looking at her fellow racers "If ya do not let me pass that finish line, I'm gonna show ya a torture even WORSE than tha FUNGEON!"


	27. Chapter 27-Ousted

Chapter Twenty Seven – Ousted

There was a battle going on in Sugar Rush but it wasn't against crazed, mutated monarchs. This battle was against three, three of the game's sweetest racers, all aimed for one destination but each with different intentions in mind.

Taffyta wanted to get Candlehead out of the way.

Candlehead wanted to get away from Vanellope and Taffyta.

And Vanellope herself?

"I'M NOT GONNA LOSS TO YOU USELESS PLACE-HACKS!" roared the President, now reaching up to Taffyta and grabbing ahold of her arm.

"Let me go!"

"Not until you go down like the cry baby you are!"

"Vanellope, enough of this!" cried the strawberry racer, shoving the girl away "You're gonna kill all of us if you don't stop this!"

"Oh, but you can RESPAWN!" the vanilla racer sneered "I have OTHER plans that could KILL ya!"

"Taffyta, Vanellope, ANYONE!" cried Candlehead "I can't control my kart with ya guys goin' on like this!"

"H-Hang on, C-Butt!" Taffyta said, trying her best to scramble her way towards the other racer. Maybe if she could force the eject button, at least she would be safe.

"Goin' somewhere Muttonflub!?"

"That is no my name! THAT IS NOT MY NAME!" roared Taffyta, her face going as red as her trademark fruit "Call me that again an' someone will be crying but it ain't gonna be ME!"

"Just try me!" Vanellope said "I've waited far too long to give ya tha punishment ya deserve after everythin' ya've done ta me!"

Taffyta glared back, her glance just as strong as the vanilla racer.

"Sorry, but I've dealt with you enough as it is, Vanello-PEE! I'm not lettin' this go any longer!"

"TAFFYTA! VANELLOPE! LOOK OUT!"

Taffyta looked up to see that the three karts were heading right for a barricade and at their speed there was no way to stop the oncoming impact!

_Unless…._

"Grugh, sorry C-Butt…." Taffyta said as she sat back down into her kart "But I think this is the boost you're gonna need to escape!"

Vanellope looked on, her eyes shrinking down "W-What do ya think you're-?!"

Reaching into her glove compartment, Taffyta pulled out her emergency stash of strawberry bombs, tossing the lot of them towards the back of the kart pile up. In a massive mix of sweet smelling smoke and pink flames, all three of the girls found themselves freed but as Candlehead was the only one of the bunch who's kart was angled just right…

"_**YAAAAAAAAAAAAURGH!"**_

"_**WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAURGH!"**_

Her kart was the one who was propelled forward, Vanellope and Taffyta finding themselves spinning out of control in opposite directions, everyone in the game looking on as the three racers went off in three different directions. Candlehead let out a scream as she braced for the impact, her kart bouncing up and down as it tumbled about but it eventually went forward in the right direction and-

**CANDLEHEAD WINS!**

EVERYONE in the game was silent, Candlehead screeching to a halt as she ran right into the grandstand, a few people falling onto the ground as they were flung from their spots.

"Oh!"

And the other two?

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!" screamed Taffyta, Pink Lightening smoking and swirling "NOT AGAIN!"

*BA-BOOM!*

Maybe luck was on Taffyta's side this time as the end of her journey led her into a pile of giant marshmallow bushes. She was dizzy, she was sore but at least she was in once piece.

"_Round n round n round…."_ She laughed to herself "_M-More mom! More!"_

"Is she okay?!"

"Is she even alive?!"

Taffyta shook her head as she focused on the crowd ahead of her.

Oh boy, she was in trouble now.

Much to her own luck, Vanellope's crash wasn't as bad as it could have been either. She somehow drove through the underway of the podium, only to come out the other side and slammed into the chocolate fountain, her entire body covered from head to toe in melted fudge.

Ralph and the others arrived on the scene first but the big man stopped short of just how bad Vanellope looked in the mess.

"….K-Kid?"

"Where….WHERE ARE THEY?!"

"Where is who?!" Felix meeped.

"CANDLEHEAD!" Vanellope glitched out of the kart, still dripping with sticky chocolate "CANDLEHEAD AND TAFFYTA! WHERE ARE THEY?!"

"Now hold on, Ms. Von Schweetz!" came a voice from the crowd, all parting ways to make room for Calhoun who was also covered in gobs of mushed sweets "Mind tellin' me what your attitude was about back there?!"

The little girl growled, balling her hands into fist "ME!? What about YOU!? You're tha one who stopped me!"

"I did?!" the Marine responded, a hand on her chest "I was tryin' ta help ya!"

"Help me with WHAT?! LOSE!"

"VANELLOPE!" cried Ralph in horror "What has gotten inta ya!? I-I've never seen ya act like this before!"

"Where is Candlehead?!" Vanellope said, ignoring the concerned Wrecker "When I get my hands on her, I'mma-!"

"I'm-! I'm here!" panted the little cake racer, running through the crowd with the massive first place trophy in her hands but when she saw just had bad Vanellope looked she gasped, tossing the large golden goblet over her head and into the crowd.

"Vanellope!"

_***GLONG!***_

"My toes!" cried a familiar turtle ninja deep within the crowd as he hopped on one foot "_**MY TOES!**_"

Candlehead threw away the worry she had over herself and ran over to Vanellope, embracing her in a hug.

"Urgh!"

"Nelly, you're okay!" cried the little racer "I-I-! I was so scared that when we separated back there ya would have ended up in worse condition than-!"

_**"GET OFFA ME!"**_

Candlehead cried out as Vanellope shove her to the ground, the crowd moving back as the racer hit the dirt.

_"V-Vanellope….W-What's wron-?!"_

"Look here, DITZ. When I race, I expect ta WIN, not LOOSE ta empty-headed space gobblers like YOU!"

Candlehead shook were she was, Vanellope coming down upon her like a storm cloud "B-But-! Y-ya were tha one who rushed us! I-I just didn't want ya ta get hurt! If I had known I would win-!"

"URRGH! I can't believe ya! An' after all those rules I put in place?! You an' every stupid lil racer like ya just up an' decides ta break 'em!?"

"Vanellope stop! Why…why are ya so angry?! Its just a RACE!"" said Ralph as he tried to reach down for the girl but she glitched out of his hold.

"Just 'a race'?" the girl scowled, Ralph now feeling the dread starting to form from within "Ya think these are just RACES?!"

"Kid…."

"_I spent fifteen years sufferin', Ralph."_ The girl began but then her finger shot over towars Candlehead, the cake racer squeaking in fear "SUFFERIN' BECAUSE OF GUYS LIKE THEM!"

"B-But Vanellope!" shook the other racer "W-We said we were sorry! K-King Candy! Turbo! He HURT ALL OF US!"

"He hurt NONE of you! ALL YOU DID WAS FOLLOW!"

"But our code-!"

"Who cares about YOUR code?! Your code isn't worth JACK compared ta mine! What other reason do ya think Turbo went for me instead of you copy-kids?"

"V-Vanellope, y-ya don't mean that!"

A smile began to spread on Vanellope's face, a few of the crowd members gathering around her as they seemed to envelope Candlehead, their eyes digging into her.

"Do I need ta say it in a way that ya understand, C-Butt?"

"I-!"

"Duuuur! You bad, me good! Dur dur dur!" said Vanellope a few of the others sniggering behind her "But then again, I guess it would take someone with a brain as small are yours a few tries ta finally hammer in, no? I'm surprised that tha only reason why smashed inta tha back of me wasn't because ya drifted off inta la-la land as usual!"

"Vanellope, that is enough!" growled Ralph but the girl did not listen, looking down upon Candlehead, the mint racer teeter on the edge of tears "So ya lost a race! That is no reason ta go about actin' like-!"

"A BRAT?" the girl finished "So nice of ya ta have that concern Ralph but I'm not the brat here!"

Ralph growled, Felix and Calhoun move a few steps out of the way.

They knew nothing good was to come from this.

"Ya aren't?" the big man growled "Could have fooled me, kiddo!"

"STOP! STOP!" cried Candlehead "L-Look, I'm sorry Vanellope! I am! I-I just don't want anyone ta be angry anymore! I-I'm tired of it!"

"An' I'm tired of bein' in a game surrounded by a bunch'a no talent hacks!" the vanilla racer scoffed, wiping some more chocolate off her brow "It was bad enough ta have ya leeches on my tale when tha game was plugged in but now-?!"

"That is ENOUGH, Vanellope!"

Everyone looked up, a figure in messy, tattered pink clothing come near them and did she look at all happy? No, she did not. Candlehead and Vanellope looked at the worn Taffyta nearing them but the vanilla racer could not drop the smile, not with the way she was looking.

"Well, someone looks…GOOD."

"You're one ta talk, NELLY." Taffyta growled back "But let's drop the way I look. What's all of this with your driving?! You SMASHED everyone on the tracks!"

"It's a hard race, Mutton-Flub." The other girl grinned "Its not my fault ya can't keep up!"

"I CAN KEEP UP!" Taffyta roared "I just wonder if _**YOU**_ can do anything without HURTING everyone else here! Both on and off tha tracks!"

"Taffyta, don't!" said Candlehead "I-I don't want both of ya angry because of this!"

"Oh boo-hoo, go cry somewhere else ya stupid diaper-baby!" Vanellope said, shoving Candlehead on the shoulders "I'm surprised that ya actually kept your attention for this long before losin' it out your butt since I know you're head's too full'a cake ta hold an actual BRAINS!"

Candlehead shivered as she looked at the girl but found she could say no more. She sniffled, she shook and after so much she finally broke down.

"Candlehead."

The girl cried loudly as she turned and ran from the track, leaving only Vanellope and the crowd standing. Ralph was horrified at what he had witnessed, never having thought that Vanellope could be so cruel in her words, so mean. He knew she liked to joke around but this was beyond the limit, even for her! She had never gone so far as to actually make someone CRY!

"Kid, that was too far!" said Ralph, looking down upon the girl as if he were her father "I want ya ta explain yourself right now before-!"

"How…DARE YOU!"

All eyes went back to Taffyta, the girl red in rage. Calhoun took notice of the girl, moving forward in the crowd.

"Muttonfudge?"

"How DARE you treat Candlehead like that! She was WORRIED about you! Out of all the things she could have said or done, what did she do?! She ran to you to see if YOU were okay but you called her names, treated her like dirt!"

Vanellope glared at the other girl "Doesn't feel so good, now does i-_**OOF**_"

Vanellope looked up to see Taffyta charging towards her, the girl giving her another shove "SHUT UP! SHUT YOUR STUPID FACE!"

"Hands off her, Mutton-FLUB!" called one of the crowd members "Don't think you can bully Vanellope any-!"

"BULLY?! BULLY!" the girl shot back "Don't talk to me about BULLYIN' when that's the only thing YOU and Vanellope have been doing to us for WEEKS!"

"Weeks?" said Felix, feeling too nervous to get into the fight "What does she mean weeks?"

"That thing with the karts?! Stealing our stuff?! Don't think I didn't follow the gingerbread crumbs back to ALL of you! I don't know WHY you jerks have been doing this to us but I've had enough! I don't CARE what I've done anymore! YOU CAN'T TREAT PEOPLE LIKE THIS AND GET AWAY WITH IT!"

"Shut up, Muttonflub!" someone else cried "No one cares what you have to say ya lil BRAT!"

"Yeah, look at how Turbo's favorite racer turned just when the same thing is dealt with her!"

The crowd began to laugh at the lone racer, the girl feeling like a bomb that was about to explode. She knew this wasn't right, not matter how many times people tried to twist her words but again she could do nothing about it.

No one cared about her.

No one cared about the other racers.

It was THEM against the entire ARCADE and who was leading the charge?

Vanellope of course.

The same Vanellope that Taffyta was lead to believe had wanted thing to change for the better in the small game.

Ralph could see tears rolling down Taffyta's cheeks and as he looked at the crowd, he felt himself running towards the girl, his hands going on her shoulders.

"Guys, STOP!"

Some of the laughter died down, a few noticing that Ralph was hovering over Taffyta, a strange sight to see indeed.

"Why tha heck are ya actin' like this?! Ya know this isn't right! She's a freakin' _**KID**_ for cryin' out loud!"

Vanellope smiled, waltzing over to her friend "Oh, don't tell me YOU'RE buyin' Mutton-Flub's act too, Ralphie-boo."

"After tha way you've been behavin'-!"

"She's a CHEAT, Ralph." Vanellope scowled "A cheat who's jealous just like tha rest of 'em!"

"I-!" Taffyta quivered "I am _**NOT**_ jealous!"

A twinkle appeared in Vanellope's eyes, her mouth splitting into a devilish grin.

"Oh no?"

With the snap of her fingers, two castle hands came forward, one of them holding a familiar object in their hands. Ralph could feel Taffyta going cold, the girl's eyes shrinking down as she spied the item.

_"H-How did you-?!"_

Vanellope took the item, a book, from the staff member's clutches.

Wait…

A BOOK?!

_**THE**_ book!

Despite all her attempts to hide the precious keepsake in her tiny cottage, Vanellope had somehow gotten her hand on the bio book, the large thing held gracefully in the Princess' hands.

"Been doin' some explorin', Bratty-Ta?"

"W-What is that thing?" asked Felix.

"Is tha hidden bio book from tha game." Vanellope said in a posh tone "Ya know. Tha thing that holds all the stored info about tha game! But, oh! I hafta wonder-!"

All eyes went to Taffyta once more, the girl reduced to shaking on her knees on the ground.

"HOW and WHY was it in Taffyta Muttonfudge's home?" laughed the princess, her big eyes fluttering.

"I-I-!"

"Speak up!" laughed Vanellope, placing a hand to her ear "I'm sure EVERYONE would love ta hear your tale!"

* * *

"Here, here! Give me the all heal!" said Swizz as he and the others carried the injured racers into the garage.

"Ya think this is easy?!" moaned Sticky "Minty weighs a ton! Help ME!"

"Sorry, but I have to be careful to administer these things!" the lollipop racer said in worry, breaking several power-ups over the gravely injured racers. In a flash, their outter shells were fixed and repaired but that didn't mean that EVERYTHING was settled.

"HO!" gasped Minty, sitting up and looking around "KARTS! CRASHING! SOMETHING ABOUT BOMBS!"

"Minty, calm down…" said Sticky "We need to see if there is anything else wrong with you."

"I'll say somethin' is wrong!" the girl growled, getting off the lab table but stumbling on her feet dizzily "I-I'm not kickin' Von Schweetz' butt, that's what!"

"Minty Zaki, I'm only gonna say it one more time!" Swizzle said as he pulled the girl back "Sit your big, green butt down before-!"

"Tell me Taffyta, what reason did ya have ta steal this thing?"

The group jolted, looking out the door to see the flurry of characters gathered around the center of the track.

"What's happenin' NOW?" asked Minty, trying to get a better view.

"I-I don't know…." Whispered Swizz "But whatever it is, it sure sounds like someone is in trouble."

"Guys…."

"Sticky?"

The little sweet racer slowly crept from behind the door, her feet taking her closer to the crowd.

"Stix, what are ya doin'?!"

"W-We need to see this…." The girl looked back "C'mon!"

"L-lemme get the others!" said Swizz "There is still a lotta work ta do!"

* * *

"Vanellope, let me explain…" Taffyta said, rising off the ground "I-! I took the book, yes!"

"An'?"

"And I had a darn good reason to do so!" the strawberry racer retorted, balling her fist "I was getting tired of EVERYONE here telling me and then others that there was no point to us, that we had no backstory! That's the only reason why I took that stupid thing!"

By now, the racers who had been healed had made their way near the crowd, ducking a few heads as not to be spotted but upon hearing Taffyta's confession they could not believe what their ears had picked up.

_"W-Wait…."_ Said Citrusella "_I-Is….is that were Taffyta got that information for those….SHE was the one who sent us those?!"_

"_N-No way…"_ said Snowanna _"B-But why did she keep it from us?"_

"Are ya sure that's tha only reason ya got this book?" Vanellope smirked, thumbing her fingers through the pages "Ya sure ya weren't lookin' for any cheat codes ta give yourself an edge?"

"I was NOT!" stomped the other girl "I never wanted to cheat! I just wanted to-!"

"Find your family? Is that what ya wanted ta do? Taffyta, this is too rich! I never found ya as tha sensitive type?"

Taffyta clutched her arms, not liking the way things were turning against her. She thought she would feel better once the truth was out but it felt that the more she said, the less people were starting to believe her, Vanellope most of all given the way she was behaving.

"Hehe, what did ya think ya would find? Somethin' good? Somethin' SWEEEEET ta make up for all the bitterness in ya?"

The racer could hear the snickers and the jeers so close to her but still she said nothing.

"_Isn't she gonna do something?"_ asked Gloyd _"I mean-! This is TAFF here!"_

"I-I found some things…" Taffyta continued, force her voice to work against the laughter that was building around her "I found MANY things. Many things about US."

The girl looked up, her blue eyes cutting through Vanellope.

"Yes! YES, I did find things about us!" she exclaimed, taking a threatening stomp towards the ruler of the game "Things that PROVED we have a story, that we all have a history! That this stupid game isn't JUST about YOU and you're stupid powers!"

Taffyta moved back, her hands crossing against her chest.

"You think you're story is so perfect? That it's just about sweet, perfect angelic Vanellope an' you're so innocent and pure? Heh, well I've read those pages PRINCESS and you're story isn't as LOVELY as people often make it out to be."

A twinkle arose in the girl's eyes, the glint telling everyone that despite what they all thought her mind held secrets that even the princess of the game did not know.

"There are still something missing from the book Vanellope. Things that I have, things that I KEPT for my own sake but if you were to read them? I'm sure it would knock you off your self-righteous princess-president high-horse. I'm sure it would make all these new 'FRIENDS' of yours take a different look at you…"

Calhoun could feel the tension in the air but she too wanted to know what Taffyta had meant. What were these important notes that only she knew?

"Yeah….yeah you might have all these 'fans' fanning around your butt but I know things that you STILL don't and never will…." Taffyta hissed "Having that in my mind? It makes the whole trek I went through to find that book WORTH it. And at least I know that even if they don't exist in this game, that I'm not just something TURBO created, like so MANY of you guys have been saying."

Those words were of course shot at the crowd, a few of them scowling own at the small racer but she no longer cared, not after everything she had gone through. Vanellope was put into a stunned silence, as if she could not believe that the strawberry racer had the GALL to talk back to the ruler of the game and for a moment of two, it felt as if Vanellope HAD finally been shut down by her formal rival.

But the smile appeared again.

"Hehe…." Chuckled the raven-haired racer "Maybe I don't have all tha pages…"

Vanellope reached her hands into her pockets, Taffyta looking on in worry as a few slips of paper began to appear.

"But I have tha ones I need!"

The strawberry racer went blue in the face as the images on the sheets came before her, her knees shaking at what she saw.

"H-How did you-?!"

"What's this?" Vanellope said, holding the pages tauntingly before the other racer "The files on TAFFYTA MUTTONFUDGE! What a delight an' a treat!"

"GIVE ME THOSE!" Taffyta cried out but she was grabbed by a few members of the crowed, her feet kicking in the air "UURGH! LEMME GO!"  
"Put her down!" shouted Calhoun but much to her own horror the crowd began to crunch and box each other in, pin herself, her husband and even RALPH into the smash of characters, none of them able to lend a hand in breaking up the brewing battle. Even the other racers found themselves pinned in by the crunch, the tiny bunch forced to crawl forward until they finally popped out in front of Vanellope and Taffyta, the vanilla racer holding the pages before Taffyta and waving them in front of her face.

"Does anyone want to hear the story of Taffyta? Just WHERE she comes from?!"

"YES, YES, YES!" cheered the crowds, Taffyta's worst nightmares coming true as they all held her down, preventing her from doing anything to stop the humiliation. She knew EXACTLY what the ruler of the game was going to read and she could only dread the reaction.

"V-Vanellope! NO!"

"TobiKomi note! Taffyta Muttonfudge!" Vanellope began "In story, we didn't know what we wanted to da for this lil racer! So we thought it would be a change if we made one of tha racers the daughter of a _**BAD GUY!**_"

Ralph's eyes widened, his breath escaping him.

Was Vanellope making this up?

Was this real?

"D-Did she say that one of Taffyta's parents was a BAD GUY?" said Sticky, looking on in wonder. Swizz gulped, too petrified to move.

"Taffyta is the daughter of BERLINGOTS MUTTONFUDGE, who once worked foooor the land's most wanted criminals, Fernardo Candicus!" Vanellope continued, smiling as she watched Taffyta writhe in her hold "How bad were his crimes? Bad enough that for a while the Royal family debated on whether or not they should even let tha small Muttonfudge drive when tha races were made!"

"STOP!" Taffyta cried out "I-I know that story but-! But there is more to it than that! TH-there is more to my family! There is more to me! Its all there! IT'S ALL TH-!"

"All I see…." Vanellope said as she walked closer to the girl "Is the daughter of some bad guys. No wonder Turbo PICKED ya ta be tha leader of his gang seein' as ya came from a bad family! It's in your CODE Taffyta! It's in your code ta be bad an' there's nothin' ya can do ta change that!"

Ralph struggled to get through the pack of characters but he was tripping this way and that "Vanellope! Kid! STOP! Stop, this isn't right!"

"So she WAS coded ta be a bad guy?!"

"HA, I knew it!"

"She is the bad guy of the game! Her and the rest of her stupid family!"

Vanellope held up the papers for all to see, the images of Taffyta's parents clear to everyone.

"Would ya trust THIS family? Would ya?" Vanellope shouted, getting the crowd into a lather.

"Is that stupid looking brown thing her MOM?!"

"And look at the jerk with the white hair! Does he have the same bad dye-job?!"

"Stop, stop!" Taffyta cried in anguish "Y-You can't talk about my family like that! You can't!"

"The Muttonfudge family IS my competition! Can ya now see why she wants ta be number one, why she wanted ta get rid of me?! Because she knows she would NEVER be good! She's just a BAD GUY! A BAD GUY LIKE HER FAMILY!"

"STOP!" Taffyta cried out, tears of anger spilling form her eyes as she broke free from her hold "They are not bad people! Read the story! READ THE REST OF THE-!"

"Oh, why would ya even care about them?" the other girl said, dropping all but one of the pages on the ground, walking over them "They don't even EXIST. They don't exist like any of your parents but I can only imagine if they did-?"

The vanilla racer sniffed, rolling her eyes.

"They would be just as meaningless as tha rest of ya guys. As if I need a kingdom full of anyone else who thinks they're better than me."

Taffyta clutched the ground with her fingers, tears dropping onto the ground.

_"H-How could you say stuff like this? I thought you were my friend Vanellope….I thought you'd be happy that I found all of this. All of this stuff that Turbo hid from us…." _

The President didn't respond, enjoying watching Taffyta grovel and cry at her feet. For Calhoun, the sight was familiar but she in fact did not at all like what she was witnessing. Vanellope had gone too far, she had hurt Taffyta on a personal level that she could not excuse in the least but as she fought the crowd it was if something were pulling her back, preventing her from rushing in to stop everyone!

"Wh-what's gotten inta that lil candy-head?!"

"But then again, maybe I should be sorry for ya…."

Taffyta peered up, Vanellope looking at the page that contained the sketches and final art of her parents. The girl gave the page disgusted looks before showing them off to the others.

"Ya see this guys?"

People began laughing again, Taffyta feeling trapped.

"THESE sorry excuses for characters were gonna be in this game! These guys!"

Ralph knew EXACTLY what was coming, the man throwing politeness to the side as he simply PUSHED people away.

"Vanellope, don't do it! DON'T!"

"Maybe I should feel pity for ya, Taff." The girl huffed, the paper in her hand "If my dad looked like a bloated cream-puff an' my mom were a bunrt stick with cotton candy on top, I'd be upset too since YOU'RE tha result of that blendin' disaster."

_***WA-BAM!***_

"HOLY!"

"TAFFYTA!"

Ralph knew it was coming but he was too late to stop it.

The second those words came out of Vanellope's mouth had been the breaking point for Taffyta. She had heard enough about the racers, she had heard enough about HERSELF but the moment Vanellope had said those things about her parents, the way she described them, the way she INSULTED them…

She lost it.

The girl had sprung back on her feet and moving much too quick even for VANELLOPE to see she STRUCK the vanilla racer in the face not with her hands…

But with her feet.

Everyone knew of the little spin Taffyta would do when she said her catch phrase but they never imagined it could be employed by such force. Whatever was flowing inside the girl had been unleashed in the form of a powerful KICK, but she wasn't giving up. She had already stuck Vanellope one time….

"S-STUPID!"

_***WA-BAM!***_

Twice!

"STINK'!"

_***WA-BAM!***_

"_**GLIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITCH!"**_

"Taffyta, that is enough!" cried Ralph as he pried the girl away, holding her by the back of her collar "That is ENOUGH!"

"But you heard what she said!" raged the strawberry racer _**"YOU HEARD WHAT SHE SAID ABOUT ALL OF US! ALL OF US!"**_

"SHE HIT THE PRINCESS!"

"SHE STRUCK VANELLOPE!"

"SEND HER AWAY!"

"SEND THE CRIMINAL AWAY!"

"I am NOT a CRIMINAL!" Taffyta snarled, tearing like heck to get out of Ralph's arms but he held onto her though it did not come without consequences as well.

"Taffyta, ow! OW! Stop scratchin' me!"

Nasty lines of jagged red were left in Ralph's skin and just when things looked as if they were about to come to a head-!

"EVERYONE!" came the powerful voice of one Sargent Calhoun "SHUT UUUUUUUP!"

Silence filled the game once more, the focus going down to the little racer on the ground. Taffyta looked as well, once cooling down and realizing what she had just done.

Had she done that?

"_V-Vanellope?!"_

"_M-Muttonflub…."_ The girl on the ground moaned "I knew you were just a brat. I knew you were just a bad guy!"

"V-Vanellope, I'm sorry!"

"There is no more sorry! Not for you, not for any of the racers! NO MORE!"

Calhoun looked around, not sure who to respond to first or who to take ahold of.

Vanellope?

Or Taffyta?

Both girls had acted out, both had behaved in ways that astonished her but….

But….

"R-Ralph!" wept Vanellope "D-do somethin'!"

Ralph snapped to, remember that he was still holding onto the other racer and now everyone was turning towards him, expecting him to make the first move.

"W-What do ya want me-?!"

"To the Fungeon!" yelled someone from the crowd "TAKE MUTTONFLUB TO THE FUNGEON!"

"NO!" cried Sticky as she leapt out from the protection of the other racers "Taffyta doesn't deserve to go to the Fungeon! Not after-!"

"Aw, button it you lil candy rotter!" someone short towards sticky "ALL of you deserve to go to the Fugeon!"

"After what Vanellope did?! AFTER WHAT VANELLOPE SAID?!" shouted Minty as she ran next to her sister "Ya bunch'a block heads, you're no better than us when Turbo was in charge! All ya wanna do is yell at us an' blame us for junk we didn't even DO!"

"Ya would really defend her?!" Vanellope said as she GLITCHED in front of Minty's face but the larger girl did not move.

"Yeah! YEAH I WOULD! I would rather stand by Taffyta than some rotten ruler like YOU!"

"Guys, she might-!"

"Then you're just as bad as SHE is!" Vanellope shot back.

"So what then?! As if you're any better than King Candy! You're goin' about actin' just like him!"

"Vanellope is nothin' like King Candy, you useless brat!" shouted someone.

"She is more than HIM! She is more than you'll ever be!" said another.

The crowd was acting worse and worse, Taffyta trapped in the middle of it all until-!

"OKAY!" roared Ralph, dangling Taffyta in his massive hands. He gave a glance over to the tiny racers below him, his look a little off to them "O-On the PRINCESS' orders….._**I**_ will take Taffyta ta tha Fungeon!"

"W-WHAT?!" choked the racer, thrashing around in fury "Y-You can't do this to me! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO!"

"Ralph, ya can't actually be goin' through with this!" said Felix but the big man pushed passed him and Calhoun, only turning back once he was away from the crowd.

"I have my orders." He said loudly but rather flatly "My ORDERS to the PRINCESS."

Felix wasn't sure he understood the message but Calhoun could see it plain in the man's eyes. She gave Ralph a nod, taking Felix by his shoulders.

"YES. That is tha way things hafta end!"

"But Tammy-!"

"No, talk now Felix!" the marine ordered, pushing Felix away from the track and near the rainbow-bridge "Ralph will take care of things! He will take care of things like he ALWAYS does!"

And away Taffyta was carried, screaming and crying in Ralph's clutches and leaving the others in a horrified stupor. Vanellope smiled in pride, happy to see that Ralph had finally taken an order from her but she had more business to attend to other than the cries of a frightened racer.

"Now…." The racer cooed "Where is that first place trophy that RIGHTFULLY belongs ta me?"

* * *

Ralph marched stiffly through the castle, Taffyta still screaming up a storm in his hold.

"I KNEW IT!" she wailed "I knew that you're just like everyone else! You don't wanna believe us, even when we've done NOTHING wrong! Just so long as Vanellope can have her fun messing with us, right?!"

Ralph's eyes slid to the left, then to the right. Was he being followed, was he being watched? If anyone was heard, Taffyta sure was. Large tears fell from her eyes are she remembered everything that had been said, the words that Vanellope had thrown her way. It was such a humiliating experience, even more than her outburst when Vanellope had reformed into a Princes once more but what hurt her the most was how she could do nothing. How could do nothing to stand up for herself, to stand up for her FAMILY.

Everyone in Litwak's had made it clear what they thought of Taffyta and the racers.

They had also made it clear what they thought of their families.

A bloated cream-puff.

A burnt stick of cotton candy.

Those were the words that Vanellope had used to describe the Muttonfudge parents, words that Vanellope had expected Taffyta to take, to swallow, to ACCEPT. She hung in Ralph's hands, feeling defeated, feeling useless. She had tried to do something good, she had tried to do something for the other racers but this is how it ended up. This was how all her efforts had turned into.

Days spent looking for the book, finally finding it.

She had read everything, absorbing every bit of info she could.

She wanted to share the info with the others, hoping that they would join her to finally unlock the truth of it all, unlock the truth of everything that Turbo still had his clutches on, the things that he had had kept locked so tight that one reset was not going to work. There needed to be more work done in order for the racers to really be free, to FEEL free.

But this was how it ended.

It ended just as badly as it had when Turbo had taken over.

Nothing was ever going to right in Sugar Rush again.

No one was ever going to be free.

"Kid…."

Taffyta sniffled, looking up at Ralph but his expression had changed.

_"H-Huh?"_

The man said not a word, lowering the girl onto the floor. The two were nowhere near the Fungeon, instead Ralph had ducked behind a corner near a side window and praying to very Programmer he knew that he hadn't been spotted.

"M-Mr. Ralph?" Taffyta sniffed, looking up at the big man.

"Run."

"W-What?"

"Run, kid. RUN!"

"B-But where?!"

"Anywhere!" the Wrecker said, sensing that there were other people near "Anywhere! Just get outta here! Get help!"

"Even if I do run outta here, no one is gonna believe me!" said the girl.

Ralph could hear footsteps approaching, Vanellope voice making his ears twitch.

"_Go ta Niceland…."_

_"Niceland?! What can I do-?!"_

"_Look, move!"_ Ralph said as he opened the window, shoving Taffyta out _"Felix an' Calhoun will be there! We can help ya from there!"_

_"A-Alright!" _meeped the small racer as she scrambled out the window, her hat falling off in the process.

"Gee!" yelped Ralph, taking the thing and shoving it in his pocket.

"Ralph?"

The big man turned, Vanellope looking at him, her nose still bloodied from the attack on the track. He stood straight, hoping that the girl didn't notice a pink hat in his pocket.

"I took care of Muttonfudge, Vanellope!" Ralph said, clearing his throat "D-Do ya need me ta do anythin' else?"

"N-No, not right now…." The girl said, wiping her eyes "I should check ta make sure that Taffyta is-!"

"She's secure!" the Wrecker blurted, scooting his friend away from the corridor leading to the dank Fungeon. He had to buy Taffyta some time to get away from the palace ground and it Vanellope saw that the aforementioned racer wasn't in a cell?

Even MORE trouble.

"W-We need ta get ya cleaned up." The Wrecker said, his voice drained "Maybe a trip to tha infirmary would do ya good."

NNNNN

Taffyta ran towards her cottage like she had never done before, panting, sweating, in a mass panic on what to do.

"She got into my house…" the girl said to herself "But she didn't have HER pages! Not the ones with her story on it!"

When had Vanellope snuck off to her house? For all Taffyta knew, the girl had been too busy at the track with her-!

Friends?

The new friends!

The same ones who had been pulling tricks on the other racers!

They had to have been the ones who broke into her house!

"I-I wouldn't put it past them…." The girl mumbled as she reached for her keys and threw open the door. Just as she had thought, the house was a mess from whoever had invaded it but if she had any luck…

"Be there, be there!"

Taffyta went to the kitchen, sticking her fingers between the narrow gap of the cupboards. She could feel something against her fingers, pulling out the sheets of paper she had hidden.

"YES!"

Vanellope's pages!

The vandals were smart enough but they had not checked EVERYWHERE in the cottage.

"I got these…" the girl said "But….but I need to get that book back! It's the only thing standing between Vanellope and the truth! Plus…"

Taffyta felt her heart flutter, clutching the pages she held against her chest.

"She still has MY story." She growled "She has MY story with MY family….and I won't have anyone else tampering with MY memories!"

The girl grabbed her satchel and ran back towards the castle. She was aware that Ralph didn't want her to go anywhere near the palace but she couldn't leave the game without the book, not without the real stories that it held within.


	28. Chapter 28- Reveal

Chapter Twenty Eight – Reveal

"Ralph, what happened ta Vanellope?" Felix asked as he saw the Wrecker running out of the entrance of the game "I-I thought by now, ya would have told her what-!"

"Move, MOVE!" the Wrecker said as he shoved both Repairman and Marine towards their home base "We need ta get home, NOW!"

"Ralph, what's gotten inta ya?! What's gotten inta EVERYONE?!" Calhoun shouted, turning around and facing the man.

"Look, Sarge! I…"

He paused, rubbing his temples. What could he POSSIBLY say to explain everything that he had witnessed, everything he had done.

"We just need ta get home. That is that!"

"Ralph-!"

"We might have some visitors later on, so get ready for 'em…" the big man said as he continued onward towards Fix-it-Felix Jr "Other than that? Keep your eyes OPEN!"

* * *

Taffyta snuck beneath the gates of the massive castle, her mind working away to figure out where Vanellope might have stashed the book. She had gotten it from her home SOMEHOW and for all she knew it was still with her after she had kicked her…

"She couldn't have gotten rid of it…there's too much info in that thing. Info about me, about HER, about all of us!"

Guards were stationed outside as usual, making the trek one that was not easy for the little racer but as always Taffyta had an ace up her sleeve. She had been more accustomed to using her legs as power, another story in the book inspiring her to do so and with one flip here, on flip there, the girl was able to dodge the eyes of the large baked-good guards.

Someone would have been proud.

She approached the back entrance of the castle, slowly opening the door and creeping in. The maze of a castle was filled with more guards but Taffyta's quick moves were unnoticed by any of them. Up one story, up two and then three! She was on her way to Vanellope's room!

Just as she rounded the corner, she could hear her; Vanellope's voice echoing off the empty halls.

"The book shall remain in my possession…" said the girl.

"Vanellope?"

Taffyta looked down the hall, seeing Bill's round form following after the girl.

"Yes, Bily?"

"Um, you've seemed to have healed kinda fast."

"Yes, I guess I did." The girl smiled "Felix's hammer can do WONDERS!"

Billy said nothing as he walked alongside the girl.

_Felix hadn't been ANYWHERE near Vanellope after the confrontation._

"Have the guards check on Taffyta…." Vanellope said, her voice low "I have somethin' ta tell her in tha mornin'…"

"Right, Princess." The little ball of candy said as he walked the opposite direction.

Darn it; Taffyta was really in a jam now that the guards were going to check on the Fungeon and once they saw it was empty the REAL trouble would arise, not just for her but for Ralph as well!

"I hope that man is prepared for the worst…." Taffyta shuddered, returning her focus on the task at hand. She had to get the book back and with it being in Vanellope's room that meant she somehow had to get Vanellope out of the way as well. If she were to confront her head on, then more trouble would arise but if she didn't do anything-!

"Taffyta."

The girl froze in her place; that voice.

Vanellope?!

"Taffyta…" the princess repeated, standing alone in her room "I know you're there."

Dare the strawberry racer move? She could make another move, possibly making her way to freedom but-!

"Don't hide. You're in tha hall, lookin' right this way…."

There was no point in concealing herself any longer.

The girl rose to her feet but remained as steady and as strong as she could, only faltering for a moment when she realized that her hat was still in Ralph's possession. She leaned on the wall, her arms against her chest.

"Yeah. So ya got me. Whaddya gonna do, GLITCH?"

"Do ya hafta call me by that name?" the Princess responded, her back still on the girl "I…I hate bein' called that. I hate bein' called a glitch."

"After what you did to me, after what you did to everyone here?" Taffyta growled, her nose wrinkling "I'm tired of playing NICE with you Vanellope. There's no reason for it if this is the way our home is going to be."

Much to the pink racer's surprise, Vanellope turned and what she saw…

She saw sadness.

She saw pain.

She saw….

REGRET.

Vanellope Von Schweetz turned and looked at Taffyta with hurt eyes, her chest heaving up and down. Taffyta remained as still as possible, refusing to show a sign of weakness to the other girl, no matter what.

"T-Taff."

"Don't play this game with me, Von Schweetz." The pink racer said as she walked into the room, not stalling a moment as she pushed a chair out of the way "You can cry, you can scream. Ya know what? I don't even care if you actually do lock me up in the Fungeon this time. It will only prove EVERYTHING the guys were worried about was true!"

"And-!"

Vanellope swallowed hard, attempting to look angry at her opponent.

"Wh-what do you guys really think of me?! After all this time, do ya still think I'm a GLITCH?! That's I can't be anything BUT that?!"

The girl in pink did not back down; she recalled EVERYTHING that Vanellope had said towards her and her family, how she reacted to Candlehead and even towards her OWN friends. In the past, Taffyta would have been SCARED to face the wrath of the ruler of Sugar Rush but…

Burnt stick.

Bloated cream-puff.

She had no reason to be scared, not after the true workings of the game's princess had been revealed.

"I want the book back." Taffyta began "If there is anything that WE have a right to, its that book! Not everything in this stupid game is YOURS, Vanellope!"

"Look, if this is about what I said I'm sorry!"

"SORRY IS OVER!" shouted Taffyta, Vanellope yelping as she stumbled back "SORRY?! Sorry means NOTHING now and just like us, you're gonna have to take it! That's what PRESIDENTS do, Vanellope!"

"But-! But I was just caught! I was just so angry!"

"So angry that you had to insult my FAMILY!?" Taffyta roared, a few tears breaking through. She hated that the water-works had begun but she just could not help it. She thought back to the images of her parents and the words that had been tossed at them.

Those were HER parents and she was their child.

But now everyone was going to recognize her as the child of a 'burnt stick' and the 'bloated cream-puff'. People were never going to relent on it, they were not because Vanellope had said it and to them anything she said was okay in their book. Taffyta had dealt with this mindset for WEEKS since the vanilla racer had made her return but after everything?

She didn't care if people thought she was a bully anymore. After what had happened, Taffyta was going to make a stand. She was going to make a stand to keep the game from returning to the pits it once was when Turbo was in charge.

Vanellope was crying however. She was crying and it would not stop.

"I didn't mean to say those things."

"Liar!"

"I don't know what got into me."

"How could you say such a thing?"

"Can you forgive me?"

"How can you expect me to forgive YOU when no one else will do the same?"

"TAFFYTA! LISTEN TO YOURSELF!" Vanellope wailed, taking the girl by the arms "Listen! Listen to all of this! Its just like tha past! Tha past when Turbo was in charge!"

"How would YOU know?!" the girl tore away "For all I know, you could have been sitting on the sidelines, thinking we were nothing but Turbo's brats! All you cared about were those stupid races, you never cared about US! You never cared about ANYONE ELSE BUT-!"

The girl gripped the side of her head, crying out in frustration.

"I WANT THIS TO STOP!" Taffyta cried out "Why can't we just start over!? Why can't we be happy and enjoy our lives?! WHY?!"

"Taffyta…."

Her face was as red as a berry, tears staining her cheeks.

"Taffyta….I want tha same thing as ya…." Vanellope said softly, a smile on her face "That's all I ever wanted. I just wanted ta be happy with everyone."

"Th-then what happened to us?" Taffyta sniffled and hiccupped "L-Look at us. We're still fighting. We're still being mean to each other."

"Its because of everyone else…"

"Us?"

"No, tha arcade." Vanellope said "I got roped in with the wrong people I guess. Things were so excitin' when I came back, seein' new faces who wanted ta be nice ta me…but…."

The little girl chuckled but it was an empty laugh, a sound one would make when they knew there was no longer a point but it still tickled them somehow.

"I lost track. I lost track of everythin'. Of my home, of you guys…."

The girl lead the other to the bed, sitting down on the mattress and placing the book in her hands.

"Here."

"Really?" sniffed Taffyta, wiping her eyes "You want me to have it?"

"Your parents' pictures are back in there but yeah…I want ya ta have it. TA KEEP."

"Wait…REALLY?"

"Yes." Nodded the princess "This thing really means a lot ta ya an' though I want ya ta share it….I want ya ta watch over it, Taffyta."

The strawberry racer could not believe what was going on. All this time she had prepared herself for a fight with Vanellope, to battle tooth and nail for the pages of the tome. But instead they were sitting on the bed, crying in each other's arms as the book had finally come to rest between them.

Maybe Taffyta had thought wrong, maybe she had once again misjudged the little racer as she had before. Vanellope might not have actually wanted to go along with the other characters in the arcade but it still didn't make sense to everything she had said, just how mean she was to the other racers.

None of it made any sense and yet there they were, trying to comfort each other as they had before, before everything had gone mad.

For the first time in a long time….Taffyta Muttonfudge felt safe.

"Taff?"

"Yeah?"

"Do ya think I'll make a good President? I mean a GOOD ONE, not just because I was written ta be tha leader of this game."

"I-I….I guess…."

"I made a mess outta things real early, didn't I?" the girl sighed "I try ta get things started by throwin' a bash for ya an' what happens? I get myself kidnapped an' inta tha cords. An' even then I still couldn't keep things together when I came back! People runnin' around an' say junk? What kinda leader am I?"

"Y-You're gonna be a good one." Said Taffyta, trying ger most to reassure the girl "B-But things aren't perfect overnight! It takes time!"

"I-I guess so…." Smiled the other girl "Still….tha party? If I had known I was gonna get snatched, I would have joined ya on your trip ta tha library! I guess the virus…monster….thingie wouldn't have gone to me if it had thought I was a NEEEERD or somethin'!"

"Y-Yeah…." Taffyta smiled nervously "I-I guess not."

Wait.

Vanellope walked over to her mirror, looking at the reflection "I wanna ask ya somethin' though, Taff."

What had Vanellope had just said?

"Where did ya learn ta double, no, TRIPLE-KICK like that?"

The library.

"Are ya double-jointed?"

Taffyta had told CALHOUN she had been to the library.

"Can ya stretch like REAL taffy?"

She had told the KIDS about the library.

"Taffy?"

**BUT SHE HAD NEVER TOLD VANELLOPE ABOUT THE LIBRARY.**

The strawberry racer stood in silence as she looked over at Vanellope, her hands clutching the book and her feet taking her out of the room.

"Taffyta?"

"I never told you I was going to the library…" said Taffyta "And I told everyone else to keep their mouths shut about it."

Vanellope looked around the room, appearing as if she had not understood the accusation.

"Er….yeaaaaah?"

"How did you know that?"

"What?"

"How did you know I was in the library AT THAT EXACT TIME?" said Taffyta.

"Um, well it was a guess so-!"

"No…" Taffyta said, shaking her head "The shoe. The shoe that I found. Vanellope wasn't anywhere NEAR the library!"

"Taffyta, what's wrong with you?"

"She was on the first floor! She was calling my name!"

"Taffyta!"

"I heard her scream! I STILL HAVE THE PARTY SHOE AT MY HOUSE!"

"What are ya talkin' about?!" yelled the vanilla racer "All I said was-?!"

*BAM!*

And with one strong hit, Taffyta sent Vanellope flying back as the book slammed into her face.

"WHO ARE YOU!? WHO THE HECK ARE YOU!?"

"Taffyta, this is so UNLIKE you!" the vanilla racer growled but as she rubbed her bruise cheek, Taffyta could see the real workings within.

The cut left on the racer's cheek was filled with black sludge on the inside but it rapidly began to stich itself back together, the vanilla racer smiling at Taffyta wit gutting, sharp, yellowed teeth.

"T-Turbo?!"

"No…." grinned the sickly figure before the girl "THAT little byte is NOTHING compared to me!"

_***BAM BAM BAM BAM!***_

What the-?!

_**"TAFFYTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"**_

Both figures looked at the mirror in the room, Taffyta seeing a faded figure from within.

"N-no way!"

_***BAM BAM BAM!***_

"TAFFYTA, HELP ME!"

The strawberry race turned as white as a ghost as she realized what was happening.

There was Vanellope.

And then there was IMITATION VANELLOPE!

"What did you do?!" Taffyta cried at the figure before her but the only response she got was a maddened cackle.

"Taffytaaaaaaaaaaa! It's MEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

"No! You're-! I don't know WHAT the heck ya are but ya sure ain't Vanellope!"

"No, I am the better version!" the creature hissed "I am the IMPROVED version! I AM THE VERSION SHE REFUSES TO BE!"

Taffyta let out a scream as the create gunned for her but against the strawberry racer proved to be the faster. By some hidden instinct, Taffyta found herself wiping her legs as hard as she could, both her feet striking against the skull of the monster and sending her crashing to the ground. She knew she didn't have much time but she got to her feet and ran towards the mirror, seeing the REAL Vanellope inside plain as day.

"Oh my GOBS!"

"Taffyta, ya hafta get me out!" Vanellope cried, banging her hands against the glass.

"B-B-but HOW?!"

"_**MUTTONFLUUUUUUUUUUUB!"**_

The creature truly began to reveal itself towards the girls, the Vanellope skin it wore upon its body stretching, pulling, twisting in such a horrific and disgusting way! They could hear the skin ripping like clothing as it grew, boney tendrils of hands and jagged teeth protruding from its mouth! It was a monster, a monster unlike any had seen before.

"_**YOU'RE BOTH GOING TO END UP IN MY HIVE!"**_

And it was after THEM!


	29. Chapter 29- Run

Chapter Twenty Nine- Run

Taffyta was cornered in the room, no place to go, no place to run.

"What do I do, what do I do?!" the girl shivered, the form of the virus looming over her. Vanellope knew there was no point in asking for her friend to break the mirror, especially when she couldn't even do it from the INSIDE.

"Taffyta, I need ya ta run!"

"WHERE?!"

"ANYWHERE!" Vanellope yelled "Get help! Get RALPH!"

"RAAAAAAAAALPH!?" screeched the creature "HE SHALL BE ANOTHER ONE TO ADD TO MY COLLECTION!"

"Oh-HO! Not this time!" Taffyta scowled, reaching over and throwing a lamp into the creature's mouth, hitting it rather painfully on its teeth.

"Go, Taffy! GO!"

And go was what the little racer did. She tore through the room as fast as her legs could carry her but the creature, the vile thing spreading its darkness throughout the halls, was hot on her heels. Taffyta forced herself to go faster, ever faster, wishing that her kart was nearby!

"Ooooh, what I wouldn't give for a Speed-Up now!"

"C-C-CONSUME!"

The girl screamed in horror as the low drone of several people formed before her. She then saw her next obstacle; an army of various characters, the lot of them looking as grey and as mindless as the creature but as the girl got a better look at them, she recognized them.

Their face! She had seen them all before and that was because they were the same people who had gone after her and the other racers before!

"H-how?!"

"Do you like my collection?" purred the Imitation Creature "Its so nice knowing that an army is easy to build here so long as you put on the right face and say the right words."

"W-what did you do to them?!"

"The same thing I was planning on doing to you worthless lot until I saw just how much FUN it was to make you suffer instead!" cackled the creature, rubbing its hands up and down along the face of the lead drone "But they're so nice, aren't they. Just a single bite and I can turn ANYTHING character, no matter how powerful they think they are into another helpless virus clone!"

Virus.

Just as Calhoun had feared!

But that this was IMPOSSIBLE! How could the virus infiltrate the arcade? The soldiers at Hero's Duty had made certain to check everything, to watch everyone but-!

But….

The party?

"I can tell that empty head of yours is working hard to figure this all out, right PINKY?"

"Y….you were at the party! You were at the party the whole time!"

"Yes I was…" chortled the virus "It was such a fun sight before I swooped in and took your Princess!"

"But…but if you could have done that? WHY!? Why lead us on this goose-chase?"

"To be honest? I was going to take the kid back to the master, let her deal with the brat on her own."

Her?

"But I wanted to have fun, wanted to watch as those stupid space nuts wasted their bullets and coding on the rest of the virus in the cords. Oh, it was such a delight to see! Watching them about on a fruitless rescue when Vanellope was ALREADY in my control to begin with! I copied her the moment I swiped her from the castle! I just wanted to see how long it took YOU morons to figure out the truth of the whole thing but I guess I gave you too much credit!"

Taffyta was horrified and enraged; how dare this creature speak to her in such a way! How dare it treat LITWAK'S this way!

"But that made things so much fun for me. I knew who to take, I knew who to round up and by weakening all your cavities, I knew that this place would be the FIRST to go out!"

"The first?"

"Why yes, indeed dear…" nodded the virus "Sugar Rush will be the first but it won't be the last. The hive has been around for YEARS, gathering up data from games all around! But this will be my first solo victory and I have EVERYONE who was stupid enough to follow my princess act to thank for that!"

Slithering next to Taffyta, the virus rubbed the girl's face sweetly.

"But most of all, I have YOU to think by taking all the focus away from me and putting them all on your stupid antics…."

"You will NOT do anything to this arcade!" Taffyta cried out, shoving the virus away "When I get Calhoun in here, she'll-AAAARCK!"

The virus' chocking hold gripped around Taffyta's neck, her feet hovering several feet off the ground.

"I could kill you the old fashion way….I could just rip your head off right here and let my DOG lap up the blood of your remains…."

The racer could feel the nails off the creature digging into her flesh, cutting into her skin.

This could not be happening. This could not be the way for the story to end.

"But that would be too easy. I want you to suffer, Mutton-Flub. I want you to suffer long and slow. I want to see you getting torn, getting ripped, getting eaten."

The disgusting smile of the virus only grew, pure bliss in his eyes as it licked its lips.

"I'm gonna eat you alive! LIKE A PROPER VIRUS SHOULD-!"

"_**TAFFYTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"**_

"HUH?!"

_***BAM!***_

The virus gave a cry as a bright flash of GREEN slammed right into her face, knocking Taffyta from its hold. The girl chocked and coughed as she landed hard on the floor but she felt tiny hands grabbing onto her.

"Taffyta! TAFFYTA!" cried the voice "Get up! We have to get outta here!"

Sour Bill?

"U-Urgh, Billy?" the girl moaned, her hands still on her throat.

"Now!" the little candy man said in fear as he pushed the girl up "Up before they get us!"

"Get them, get them, GET THEM!" cried the virus, pointing towards her charges "GET THEM NOW AND THEN YOU CAN FEAST!"

The characters turned viruses went after the two like a pack of rabid dogs, Taffyta and Bill running as fast as they could towards the winding castle but it seemed that the virus' powers didn't just stop at converting health code into damaged code. Taffyta looked at the walls, line and lines of binary scrawling up and warping everything around her and Bill.

"Oh no, what NOW?!"

The floors began to rumble and shake, the walls twisting as everything around them became infected by the bad code. The two were thrown about, rolled all around as the former castle became a horrific maze of a trap, neither knowing where to go.

"Were the stairs there?!" panted Taffyta, picking Bill up as she shoved the book into her satchel "WHERE IS ANYTHING HERE?!"

"Oh, oh!" moaned the man "T-Try the north end! It looks safe enough!"

"Yeah, maybe we can-!"

_**C-C-CON-SUUUUUUUUUME!**_

It didn't matter where the two went, it seemed they were surrounded by all sides by glitching, frothing corrupted character, each pack looking as hungry as the next. Taffyta began to cry again, fear going through as she had no idea what move to make or even go.

"B-Bill?!"

"No one can save you now, BRAT." Cackled the voice of the prime virus, crawling on the ceiling of the castle "Just come with me. Get it over with faster."

"N-no! I am not givin' in to you!" the girl spat, holding Bill tighter.

"But where can you go? What can you do? The line is over for you, darling!"

Taffyta began to feel that the virus was right as every corner lead to another trap, another virus! Bill looked on, his eyes scanning the entire area for a way out and-!

"_Gobs!"_

"You won't come willingly?" hissed the virus "THEN FINE! LET'S!"

"RUN, TAFFYTA!" Bill shouted as he jumped from the girl's hands and right into the crowd "RUUUUUUUUUUUUUN!"

"BILL! BILL, NO!"

It was too late for Taffyta to even try to get Bill back, the candy-man bowling down several smaller characters which lead to a path for Taffyta to make her escape.

"Run! Don't stall!"

There was no choice BUT to run by now! Taffyta took off, the viruses tearing after her and only getting closer the more exhausted she became! She could only run so far before she would collapse but the virus drones were relentless. Whatever code was going through them seemed to give them more power, more energy and they only wanted more.

MORE in the form of a little racer in pink.

"G-Gotta-! Keep! MOVIN'! she huffed and puffed, looking for a kart, ANY kart but there were none to be found!

"Wait! STOP!" said a donut cop "What are you doing here, Muttonfudge?!"

"R-Run!" the girl managed to choke out "R-Run before-!"

Again, the warnings had come too late.

The cop was swallowed up by the drones, his horrible screams ringing in Taffyta's ears and when she saw him again….

"C-C-1010100111-CONSOME!"

He was one of them!

The girl looked around, seeing more and more pastry and candy drones coming out of the woodwork! They filed in from everywhere, following the objectives of the main Virus, the figure having disappeared from Taffyta's sights long ago.

The girl made her way into the woods where to her luck, her small size began to work to her advantage. The larger characters were not familiar with the land and ended up getting tangled and stuck in the candy vines and muck and after so many moments of non-stop running Taffyta found she could finally hide and BREATHE.

Her legs were burning, her chest aching, and her heart racing but she knew she couldn't hide for long. She had to do something.

"Th-the guys…." She panted, unable to keep up a breath "I-I can't leave them here!"

CON-CON-CON-CONSUUUUUME!

D-D-D-DESTROY!

They were closing in on the girl, coming up behind her fast. Bill had already done so much for her, given her enough time to make her move and escape.

But what could she do?

Where could she go?

It was just like everyone had said; the other racers? They couldn't do ANYTHING. Vanellope was the only one with power, the only one with strength.

There was Taffyta, sitting and hiding as she heard the virus-infected characters closing in on her. She was cowering in fright, shivering in fear, just waiting…

Waiting for that moment when they would grab her, take her, rip her to shreds. She felt her lip quivering again, the images going through her head of EVERYONE around her, everyone screaming and crying for help but as everyone had said, she could do nothing about it.

She was a Mutton-Flub.

Litwak's was right.

She was a Taffyta Mutton-Flub.

The girl drew her knees closer to her chest, sobbing softly but she felt something.

"_H-Huh?"_

She could feel the weight of something heavy on her side, looking over to see that her satchel was still around her neck, and inside the bag?

The book.

"_I-I forgot I…."_

She pulled it out, seeing that Vanellope, or the Imitation, had put her pages back inside, though they were wrinkled rather badly. The images were clear enough, the drawings were still there.

The girl saw her parents, her mother and her father.

They were so bright, so colorful.

And yet Taffyta could not remember them. If there were any programmed memories in her code, she would have remembered them the moment she opened the book but they, like the other parents, were all blank slates to her. She knew it wasn't right, she knew that there was more to be found but at this point it seemed to be worthless. After all she had done, after all she had tried to help the other racers it was falling apart right before her. The only memories she had were of King Candy, the lies he had told her and the events that had fallen upon herself and the other Candy Racers once Vanellope had returned.

There were no happy stories. There were no happy memories of times before Candy, of times before the invasion, of times that Taffyta could look back to, to remind herself that she was more than just another racer for Vanellope to challenge.

That she was more than just a bully.

The viruses were getting closer, she could hear them tearing through the thick brush. She didn't move, she didn't want to move. Maybe it would be best to get it over with, to just become another virus and fade away. At least that way no one would come to her, no one would laugh, no one would lie, no one would.

_Taffyta?_

The girl felt a twinge in her head, something coming to.

_Mom, what's wrong with daddy?_

The girl looked up, her entire body starting to tingle all over as vague images began to form in her mind. Vague sounds and voices.

_Why is daddy so scared about me racing? Does he think I can't do it?_

_Taffyta darling…_

That voice; it was so soft yet firm. Smooth as chocolate….

_Your father is more worried that his presence will tarnish your fun._

_But….but what did daddy do? Why is he so nervous?_

_Taffyta, it is a long story._

_Mom, tell me!_

_I do not think it would be right._

"_M-mom?!"_

Where were these memories coming from?

The girl huddled down, her head starting to hurt as more and more, flashbacks began to appear. The entire picture wasn't clear but she could see the figures, one in pink, someone else sitting so far alone in red. She could see the waves of pink hair atop the tall figure but everything else was a blur. Was it her? Was it the Mrs. Muttonfudge?

_Please! I want to know what happened, mom!_

_Taffyta, no!_

The lone figure in red sat out near the door, his head lowered but he turned, turned to look at the two inside the unfamiliar building. His face was smudged and blurred, Taffyta unable to connect anything together but then-!

Ding.

"The memories are there?"

_**CONSUUUUUUUUUUME!**_

"They were true?"

_**M-M-M-MUTTON-FUUUUUDGE!**_

The girl's eyes began to widen, her mouth dropped. Why was she sitting there, why was she so scared? Granted the situation she was going through was less than ideal but something began to go through her code, through her mind, through her HEART. It was seeing them, hearing them, to know that they were starting to come through that filled her with something.

She had seen it.

She had seen some of the missing memories, the memories that had not returned during the reset.

_Run, Taffyta!_

"Huh?!"

Who's voice was that? It wasn't her parents'!

"_V-Vanello-?!"_

_RUUUUUUUUUUUUN!_

No sooner had the new voice called to her did the girl look up to see the massive, mutated paw of a Candy Citizen, their jagged claws ready to cut into the girl but she leapt out of the way just in time, her legs moving as fast as lightening to propel her to safety. She panted, surprised at her own speed once again.

"W-Whoa…where is all of this coming from?!" she moaned, her head throbbing again. A low bray snapped her out of her worry and once again she began her run. The hoard barreled after her clumsily but having gotten her second wind about her, Taffyta found she could keep a steady pace above them, the question of the moment being for how long?

She knew she had to get out of the game and warn everyone but she couldn't leave her friends behind as well!

"Oh, where is everyone?!" the girl asked herself, looking around the fading game and seeing not a single face of the other racers. She dreaded that they had been taken already but she could not allow herself to be caught. She had to make it out!

"But how?!" she thought to herself "If I had my KART, I'd be able to make it out but I-!"

Wait a moment!

She might not have had her KART but-!

The girl looked further into her bag, finding several glowing orbs settled near the bottom.

POWER-UPS!

OH, THANK THE PROGRAMMERS!

"Will they work on these guys though?" the girl looked back, ducking for a moment to catch her bearings "Th-they're pumped up with virus coding!"

Virus or no virus, Taffyta had to try! She had to do something!

This was big, this was dangerous, but it was something she had to do for the sake of her friends and for the sake of Sugar Rush! She bolted forward but stopped in her tracks, sliding gracefully on the tips of her toes as she held one of the Power-Up orbs in her hands.

"Ya guys look a lil HUNGRY!" she growled "Then have somma THIS!"

The racer tossed the orb into the crowd, the thing bouncing right off the face off one of the larger marauders and upon activating-!

**JELLY N' JIGGLE!**

There was a loud but rather SQUISHY sounding explosion as a large dome of gelatin erupted from the ground, trapping several of the virus drones in their place and knocking even more back.

"Yeeees!" Taffyta cheered to herself as she ran "An' lucky you. Its STRAWBERRY flavored so enjoy!"

The sudden dessert was enough to shock the monster but it didn't pack nearly enough force to halt them altogether. Fortunately, Taffyta was aware of such things and readied herself for another attack. She was nearing the bridge and once she made her way out of there she would be home free.

"But I can't risk these bog-faces to follow me!" she panted, checking her stash. She only ha a few Power-Ups left and if she wanted to make sure she got out to warn everyone…

"Pace yourself, Taff. Pace yourself!"

Right; it was a good idea to pace herself….starting with another Power-Up!

"Kay!" she growled, shaking the orb "Let's see what THIS is gonna do!"

If she could lead the group away from the bridge, somewhere secluded, somewhere where they couldn't escape she could keep at least some of the carnage down for the citizens who still remained in the game. She turned, going near the Licorice Tar Pits where she hoped the others would follow. They did a few of them already falling into the sickly sticky bitter pools of boiling, blackened sugar, Taffyta using her agility to bounce here and there, launch herself EVERYWHERE!

"I-I never knew I could do this!" the girl said, smiling a bit. It was a nice feeling to find herself about to evade such beasties WITHOUT the need of a certain glitch attack but she wasn't out of the woods, or tar-pits, yet.

"T-T-TTAFFYTA M-1010-M-MUTTONFUUUDGE!" the crowd continued to drone, their eyes set on her. This was the PERFECT time to launch her new attack, gripping tightly onto the Power-Up Orb.

"Say AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

She HURLED the item into the crowd and with a flash-!

**BRUSIN' BON-BOMBS!**

_Beep-Beep-Beeeeeeeeeeeeeep_

_***BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!***_

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIGH!" Taffyta screamed as she was FLUNG into the air by the massive explosion. She caught herself on the branch of a peppermint tree, large chunks of pastry and chocolate flying everywhere.

"MAN! How much power was that thing PACKING?!"

As the smoke cleared, Taffyta found that nothing seemed to be spared down below. PIECES of candy people were the only thing that remained, large gobs of chocolate and half-hardened licorice spread everywhere in the pool of goo. Her stomach turned at the sight but as she dropped down she knew it was the only thing that could have been done to prevent the viruses from escaping….

But maybe it had been too much.

She gulped back, clutching into her bag as she readied her way to run up the rainbow bridge.

"I we need to reset the game again!" the girl thought to herself "Maybe that way, Vanellope can get out of thatg mirror thing and everyone will be-!"

_A-A-aauUUUUURGH._

Taffyta's feet stopped in place as a horrible, pained moan wailed from behind her. She knew she was going to regret the move, she knew it was only going to get worse but she looked back, she looked back and saw what was forming behind her.

The chunks of characters began to twitch, they began to move. Some arms, some hands, legs and feet. They twitched, they jerked, the moved.

_They were still alive…_

"W-What-?! What is going on?!"

The burnt candy, chard code, and torn bytes began to move. They began to MASH themselves together, the virus forcing the mass to form together, to snap and build into NEW beings! It didn't matter who went with what or where this went there. If it had code, if it were infected, it formed! It formed into NEW, BADDER, and BIGGER viruses!

The girl screamed out in horror at the army that lay before her, the troops surrounding her from all sides.

This could not be happening; this could not be real! This was worse than the Cybugs, this was WORSE than Candy Bug! It was worse because she was ALONE!

"N-N-No…." the girl whimpered walking back "S-stay back! STAY BACK! I have more Power-Ups! I have more-!"

_***SMACK!***_

The girl cried out in pain as a painful slap landed upon her face, the other Power-Ups in her possession spilling from her bag only to roll and become swallowed up within the boiling polls of molten licorice.

"No! NO NO NO NO NO!"

"M-M-MUTTONFUDGE!"

The crowd had reformed and they were more powerful than ever, ready to make Taffyta apart of their meal!

She looked above herself, seeing that the bridge was just only some distance away but she couldn't run now! Not with everyone reformed!

"I-! I-! WHAT DO I DO?!" she panted.

What do you do?

You RUN!

She had no choice BUT to run and that was exactly what she did. Over craps of caramel, over boulders of sugar, she ran. She ran with the virus after her but they closed into her, closer and closer and closer! They tore at her, they scratched her, they tried to bite and tear! She cried out for help but no one came, she screamed for the others but they did not gather.

She was alone in her escape and she knew that it was she alone who could make it. She had to think positive, she had to think of the others!

Candlehead!

Rancis!

Jubileena and Citrusella!

Sakura, Snowanna, Gloyd and Swizz!

Minty, Sticky, Torvald!

Nougetsia and Adorabeezle!

Crumbelina and-!

Vanellope….

_**VANELLOPE!**_

Vanellope was still trapped in the mirror, the other racers were nowhere in sight. It really was up to her, it really was up to her to get out, to get help!

"And I can't let you guys down! NOT ANYMORE!"

A virus drone brayed out but Taffyta SLAMMED her feet into its face, a satisfying feeling coming from her as she felt something break under the heels of her shoe.

"Hands off, BARF-FACE!"

They were pumped, BUT SO WAS SHE!

She scratched back, she bit back but above all else she KICKED back! Those tiny legs moved faster and faster, POUNDING into the face of the drones one after another.

_That is it, my child! FAST AND FASTER!_

Who was that voice?

_Any dance can be turned into a weapon! Move your legs with strength! WITH GRACE!_

Was that-?

_You have made your mother PROUD, Taffyta! I am SO proud of you!_

Her mother.

More memories were starting to come back.

Taffyta shut her eyes tight, blocking back the emotions that were welling up inside of her. She only kicked. She kicked, harder and harder and HARDER! She thought about the lies that had been thrown her way, that had been thrown EVERYONE'S way and she only kicked HARDER!

"You say I'm weak?! THEN TAKE THIS!"

The smaller viruses were falling, the hoard thinning out but time was running out. Taffyta had fought her way up the bridge but there were still too many of them, enough to make it into the arcade and infect anyone that was hapless enough to get captured. Her heart was racing as she was being forced out of the game, knowing she had to think of SOMETHING to prevent the viruses from getting out.

Think, Taffyta! THINK!

"Oh, why did I have to lose ALL of my Power-Ups in-?!"

Her bag bumped against her said, the girl feelings something round within. She peered down for a moment to see a familiar glow. It couldn't have been, but there it was!

One more beautiful Power-Up!

"But which one IS IT?!" the girl fumbled just as a large pastry virus flung itself near her. She screamed and attempted to jump out of the way but the large monster proved the faster this time, grabbing Taffyta by her leg and SINKING its teeth right into her flesh!

The girl CRIED out in a scream so loud that nearly everyone in the arcade had heard it, their sights going for the entrance of Sugar Rush. Taffyta on the other hand was in a world of pain, screaming and crying as the monster plunged its nasty fangs further and further into the racer's legs, snarling and foaming like an animal.

"NO!" Taffyta cried "LET GO OF ME! LET GO-!"

With a swing of her arm, the Power-Up flew from her hands only to land right in the middle of the mass of creatures.

_**P-P-P-POPCORN PA-!**_

Bing!

Something had happened, something within the very code of the Power-Up that warped its function, that scrambled its circuits but whatever it was….

_***KA-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!***_

It resulted in one of the BIGGEST explosions in Sugar Rush history! Taffyta could feel the wall of heat blowing in her face as she was blasted out of the game, her body hitting the trolley and forcing it to take off towards the station. In the final moments before being taken away, she could see a massive wall of fire ENGULF EVERYTHING near the entrance, the virus crying out in horror and pain as they were swallowed up by the flames, the rainbow bridge being one of the casualties as it melted and broke apart from the blast, resulting in the only entrance to the game hanging in mid-air, not a single person able to reach that high to make it out.

She had done it.

Taffyta had trapped the viruses inside the game, possibly saving everyone in the arcade!

_**GLITCH!**_

"UUNNRUGH!"

Or perhaps not.

She looked down, her mangled leg glitching and going grey as a terrible pain rocked her body.

_**GLITCH!**_

"AURGH!"

_**G-GLITCH!**_

What was happening? What was going on?

The little racer huddled in the seat of the trolley as it speed off into the station but it was clear that things were not safe, not yet. Taffyta struggled for air, her body snapping and crunching from within, her heart pounding and her eyes jutting out.

"_**A-A-1010011-UU-UUUURGH-1100110-C-CON-1010-SUUU-!"**_

* * *

"Ralph, what are ya waitin' for?" Felix asked Ralph, the big man pacing back and forth on the grass. It had been HOURS since the Wrecker had told Taffyta to escape to Fix-it-Felix Jr for safety after the disaster of a race but he had not heard word one from the girl.

He knew he should have taken himself, who knew what danger she was in.

"Ralph!"

"H-huh?! WHAT?!"

"Brother, what has gotten inta ya?" Felix asked in concern.

"Felix, somethin's wrong in Sugar Rush an' I don't mean people grandstandin'! I think-! I think somethin' is messin' up tha code again!"

"Wh-Why do ya say that?"

"It's NELLY!" the big man breathed out "She's FAR from actin' herself! In fact, she's not actin' herself because its NOT HER!"

"Then…then do ya think it could be Turbo again?!" Felix said, panic starting to rise.

"I-I don't know but whatever or WHOEVER it is, we gotta do somethin'! Those kids are in danger Felix an' who knows how much longer their gonna last with someone like that at the helms!"

"In that case…." Felix said, pulling Ralph's arm to lead him back to the apartment "Let's get Tammy an' my hammer! She has enough arsenal ta send whatever is causin' all of this back inta tha stone age!"

"I hope so…" moaned the Wrecker "Because I would hate ta know I let someone else down again by-!"

"KIYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

The two men stopped in their tracks, hearing the high-pitched wail of someone in one of the upper stories of the apartments.

"Meg?!" Felix called, walking out into the atrium to see the woman huddling in her window "Megan! What's wrong?!"

"I-IT'S-! IT'S A MONSTER!" the little woman called back, throwing herself back into her apartment. Felix and Ralph turnd, a few of the other Nicelanders calling out as they looked out to catch a glimpse of what was staggering into Niceland.

It was grey.

It was broken.

It was GLITCHING.

"F-F-F-FEEEEEEEEE-! C-C-CON-1001010!"

"S-Sweet Ghost of Miyamoto!" gasped Gene, holding tightly onto Mary "W-WHAT IS THAT THING?!"

Ralph pushed Felix back as he readied himself, a fist out and just itching to fight!

But as he got a closer look….

"Ralph? Ralph?!" called Calhoun, running down the stairs "What's goin' on?!"

Ralph saw pink.

LOTS of pink.

Within the mess of corrupting code and jagged pixels there was something familiar. He approached the creature, the others gasping in shock as he did so.

"Ralph! WAIT!"

The man didn't stop, slowly and cautiously approaching the virus.

"_T-Taffyta?!"_

"R-R-RALPH!"

She recognized him, a good sign but from the looks of things Taffyta didn't look like she was going to last long. Whatever had happened, she did not react the same way to the virus infection as everyone else. Her body seemed to be rejecting the transformation as it coursed through her code. Nothing was working right even for the virus, her body glitching, all functions breaking down!

But through it all she had to push through, she had to tell Ralph and the others what was going on!

"V-V-VANELLOPE!" Taffyta managed to choke out, her voice glitching horribly.

"Yes, YES?!"

"SH-! SHHHHHHHH-1001010111-!"

"Kid, hang on!" Ralph said as he reached out for her but he felt a hand pull him back roughly. He looked up, Calhoun standing beside him and looking none-too-pleased "Sarge! What was that ab-?!"

"Don't touch her!" the woman said "If she comes inta contact with ya like this she could spread tha infection onta YOU!"

"_**INFECTION!?"**_

"H-H-HELP! W-WE-WE-WE-101001-! ST-ST-SSSSSSTOP VI-! R-RACERS-ZZZK-100101!"

"Do somethin'!"

"I CAN'T! Not without-!"

"Don't leave her like this!"

"Oh my LAND, what's happenin'?!"

Taffyta tried to speak, she tried to yell but her mind was fighting against the virus programming. It wanted her to attack, to infect, to spread but she held down, she kept the beast witin her at bay! It was torment inside of her, two minds fighting for the remains of one body but-!

"R-RALPH!"

But…

"C-CON-10100110-OOOME!"

But….

The girl sparked and glitched, her body convulsing horribly! She cried out and screeched, her eyes rolling in the back of her head and then-!

Then…

"T-Taffyta?"

She fell forward, body landing on the grass, lifeless and still.

"Oh…oh my god, she's not breathin'!"


	30. Chapter 30- Run n Hide

Chapter Thirty- Run n Hide

_*Before the raid*_

The kids watched as Ralph carried the screaming Taffyta away from the tracks, the young girl's angered cries of frustration and fear fading off into the distance, the man disappearing into the darkness of the looming Candy Castle.

This couldn't be true.

But it was.

All this time, they had thought that it was a joke, that Vanellope was just being coy with them as she always was but it seemed that her threats were finally being followed through.

She had become the tyrant they had all feared.

Nothing more was said as the crowd began to disperse, a few mumbles about the racers here a few chuckles about them there but all in all, it was as if the others did not exist, the smirks that surrounded them falling upon the children like heavy shadows. It was something they thought they would get used too, something they could ignore over time but this on this occurrence it was next to impossible to push away.

The racers could hear the other characters laughing at them, sniggering and insulting them with pride and lust, as if seeing the smaller characters in such a position was as sweet as cake and pie. But the targets of such words could only feel the bitterness boil within them, each fiber of their being and code crying out for some sort of escape or at least the power to stop all that was being put upon them. To stop all the anger and hate that had flooded their home since the true source of their pain had been destroyed.

But that would have been too good, wouldn't it?

The other racers being happy?

Litwak's apparently didn't want that.

Was this Vanellope's revenge? Was this what she had wanted all along, was this what EVERYONE had wanted all along? Suddenly, those years of rule under King Candy were starting to look brighter because at least the man made certain that riff-raff never entered the game even if the reasons for his actions were not for the protection of the kids but rather to save his own corrupted face.

The racers just didn't know what to think anymore.

They too departed from the tracks, none of their little bodies wanting to go back after what had transpired before them but they knew it was an impossible wish. They would have to go back sooner than they wanted and face the Princess once more. After so many years of racing in Litwak's the kids had finally reached it. They had reached the moment when racing was no longer a thing they found fun, a thing they found powerful, a thing they enjoyed with everyone.

They now hated to be racers.

They now hated THEMSELVES.

And as Litwak's stood around they seemed to reveal in that fact, taking great pride in knowing that if they had succeeded in anything it was making a group of children to loath every bit of code that built them up.

Swizzle Malarkey was the first to arrive home to his empty garage, the various inventions around him begging to be completed doing nothing for his worn mind and body. He simply threw himself on his cot, feeling himself sink into the thin mattress.

"Oh boooy…."

He tried to keep his mind afloat, the boy usually feeling he had to in such situations but he was handling what had transpired no better than the others. There were no feelings of tears in his eyes but rather he found he didn't want to move, to do anything. All he wanted to do was just leave, to escape.

Holy…

Was he thinking of going Turbo?

_Maybe…._

He began to wonder, wonder if anyone else had felt this, if anyone else had thought about leaving the game. What if he were the only one? What would the others think? A twinge of fear went through his spine as he thought of his plans, feeling as if someone had place their hands upon his shoulders. No one was there but it was if someone had read his thoughts, heard his inner screams and held him back.

Held him back as if to say _'No. No, don't leave. You can't leave….'_

"But I want to leave…." The boy frowned deeply, feeling the urge to physically fight off whatever was holding him back "I hate this Kingdom. I hate this game. I hate my-!"

_***CRASH!***_

"MINTY! NO!"

The boy gasped as he heard a loud crash a scream from close by, looking out the window as a few of his trashcans tumbled onto the ground. Was it someone else to come about and mess up his things, right on cue? He leapt from his cot and ran out the door, not even thinking twice should he get rounded up by someone bigger than him in the calamity.

"Hey! Hey, hey, HEY! What's goin' on here guys?! I already-!"

"Minty, don't leave!" sobbed a little voice, a FAMILIAR one. The boy blinked, shifting slightly where he stood.

"Stix?"

The boy expected Sticky to round the corner but instead more garbage cans flew through the air, a larger and STRONGER figure stomping by angrily.

"Sorry, but I'm not hearin' it no more!"

Minty Zaki.

Swizz watched as the eldest of the Zaki triplets stormed through the dark path but what shocked him the most was the items that were slung over her shoulders; duffle bags and pouches, all carried over the girl's shoulder and carried without any struggle, Minty handling them as if they weight nothing to her.

"W-What's going on?" Swizz asked the girls but his voice went unheard, Minty storming through with the rage of a bull.

"No, no!" cried another, the form of Torvald leaping from around the corner and grabbing onto her sister's arm, trying with all her might to pull her back "M-Minty! Don't leave! You can't leave us!"

Minty ripped her arm from her younger sister's grip "Ya guys don't wanna be alone? Then leave with me!"

Sticky, near to tears, stopped short of her sisters "W-We can't!"

"So ya would rather stay in this place?!" snarled the eldest Mint-sister "Sorry guys but I've had it up ta here with 'Princess' Vanellope an' her Butt-Headed Court! They aren't keepin' this racer in any longer!"

"But Minty-!"

"_**I'M NOT GONNA STAY IF PEOPLE DON'T WANT US HERE!" **_shouted the girl "_**IF THEY HATE US SO MUCH THEN-!"**_

"Minty, stop!"

The girls froze, seeing Swizzle standing before them and looking as desperate as ever. He breathed out hard, eyes wide and sweat beading on his face. Caught in the moment, Minty froze in place, unable to move and her cheeks feeling as if they were burning red with blush.

"Swizz?"

"M-Minty…." The boy gulped back, forcing himself to walk forward "Minty…are….are ya goin' Turbo?!"

The girl scolded, turning towards the boy as she puffed out her chest "Why do ya care?!"

"Minty, no!" Swizz sputtered as he ran closer to his friend "Ya can't go Turbo on us! Ya can't!"

"Why not?!"

"I-It's not right!" the boy gasped "Y-Ya know the rules here! It just-!"

"Oh, STUFF tha rules!" Minty said as she gave the boy a hard shove, knocking him into the other sisters "Stuff the rules, stuff this game, an' stuff Vanellope ESPECIALLY!"

"M-Minty, ya don't mean that!" sobbed Torvald, feeling much too scared to even approach her own sister given how angry she appeared to be.

"Yeah, yeah I do!" the green girl said in a sniff "'Sides, ya heard what everyone here calls us ANYWAY!"

Swizz knew that nothing good would come from the situation if he didn't say anything. He found Minty's own desires to run away to be a scary echo of his own wishes but as he looked at the situation head on he suddenly realized just how such a choice would have effected everyone. Minty was determined to escape the game but he couldn't let her, even as much as he hated what was happening in his own home.

If there was one thing he could do however, it was listen. He could LISTEN to Minty which seemed to be something that various people were refusing to do.

"What?" the boy asked "What do they call us?"

"TURBO'S BRATS!" roared the girl, her strong voice shaking the entire area "That's all I've heard since tha stupid reset so what's tha point? If they think we're like Turbo, might as well go Turbo like him!"

"But you can't!" said Sticky "W-We wouldn't know what ta do if ya left, Minty!"

"Tha offer ta join me is still open, guys." The girl scoffed "Why ya would wanna stay HERE still makes my head spin!"

"Minty Zaki, you're not goin' Turbo!" Swizz ordered, the boy shocked at himself as his temper slipped "Drop those bags an' turn your big green butt back 'round or so help me-!"

Anyone around could have heard a pin drop.

A small breeze blew between the two, the girl glaring down at the boy as if she could not believe that he had thrown such words towards her. A brow arched, a hand clutched the straps of the duffle-bag tighter.

"Swizz…."

The boy stood his ground, looking at the green girl right in her eyes. She walked closer, her steps showing that she was ready to jump at any given second.

"What did ya say to me…."

"Don't even dare think 'bout runnin' away."

"Excuse me."

"Ya heard me, Minty!" the boy shouted, a shout so loud that it sent Minty back a few steps "I let ya do a lotta stupid stunts over tha years but this?! NO WAY! YOU ARE NOT GOIN' TURBO!"

"Just try an' stop me!" the girl retorted back looking angrier than ever "An' why would ya care what happens ta me anyway, Malarkey?! It's not like this game will lose anyone important if I-!"

"BECAUSE I CARE FOR YOU!" the boy shouted towards the heavens, grabbing Minty's arm and pulling her back "I CARE FOR YOU MINTY ZAKI!"

For a moment it felt like time was starting to move like cold molasses to the girl, her boy slipping back as she felt the strong grip of Swizz' hand around her wrist. Her breath was taken from her and her mind went to focus on those words he had said.

He cared for her?

Catching herself, Minty turned and was greeted by the shocking scene of Swizz looking at the girl in teary-eyed anger. In all their years in the arcade, the girls had never seen Swizz appear in such a manner before them.

Nor had they seen Minty so shocked at that.

"S-Swizz?"

The boy said nothing for a moment or two, wiping his nose on his sleeve but he couldn't remain silent for long, not with the way he was feeling.

"Don't think we don't know how bad this feels…." He growled, his voice shaking "That we hate everything that has been thrown at us."

The boy looked up, his eyes set on the eldest of the sisters.

"But if there is one thing I'm not gonna let happen anymore its this! I'm not gonna let anyone else get chased out of this game! Not you, not your sister, not-!"

The boy stopped himself, his hands held out as he shook his head.

How could he go on without embarrassing himself even further?

"Minty, if you go Turbo. Guess who wins?"

The girl felt shaky, unable to respond at all.

"THEY win. Those guys who go after you, after your sisters. Is that what you want?"

Swizz could see the anger appearing on the girl's face but she continued to restrict herself, her actions held back and contained.

"I've hated it. I've hated it all since it started. I've hated the way they've talked to me, I've hated the way they've talked to you but ya wanna know something? The thing that makes it even worse?"

Minty gulped, not sure if she wanted to hear the confession any longer.

"I hate the fact that I didn't do anything to help…." The boy sobbed slightly "An' it comes to this? I-I could have said something. I could have said anything to make everyone stop but-!"

"Wait…."

Swizz looked up, Minty dropping her bags to the ground.

"No."

"No, what?"

"D-Don't blame yourself for this, Egghead." The girl began as she walked over to the boy "I-it's not your fault! I-I know ya can say things that could make someone's skin-crawl but there are too many of 'em! An' I never wanted ya ta take all that heat for us! I just-!"

She just WHAT?

"I don't know what to do anymore…." The girl breathed out "On one hand we have our duty to fill in as racers but what's tha point in doin' that if no one wants us ta be racers?"

"An' that's why ya wanted to go Turbo?"

Minty nodded "Yes. I'm outta it, guys. What's tha point of continuin' here if no one will leave ya alone an' even tha so-called 'leader' of tha game just sits back an' allows all this stuff?"

Minty looked back at her sisters, a hand going out for them.

"That stuff that happened durin' ta race ta them? It wasn't as if that was tha worst Vanellope an' her new 'friends' have done ta 'em but they expect us ta take it? By that, goin' Turbo seems like tha best opition!"

"A-and don't forget what happened to Taffyta!" said Torvald as she approached the boy "Th-the entire fight was bad enough but-!"

"Guys, I get it…" sighed Swizz "I know. Things…things have really taken a change here but….I know this sounds stupid, we can't allow ourselves to be divided anymore. Like I said, it's just what they would want us to do since they know it would make things easier for them to get ta us. If Minty leaves, then it wouldn't make a different, not to them anyway. But to us? Me, your sisters? Minty, despite what all these jerks have been tellin' ya, you do have friends here!"

The girl turned a shade of pink that was thought impossible to the average eye.

Darn it Swizz. Did you have to say it like that!

But she knew he was right. Giving into bullies, to play right into their hands? It was just what they wanted and more than that….what would happen to her sisters? What would happen to them if she left, if she ABANDONED them? The weight of the situation began to come crashing down upon the girl, once more seeing that she had let her anger get the better of her. No matter how enraged she was, she couldn't just leave.

She couldn't go Turbo.

"Please don't run away, Minty…." Swizz repeated, his voice filled with honesty but also fear. Fear of losing one of his closest friends "Don't run away."

The boy felt a strong grip embrace his entire body, a little squeak coming from his mouth only to see that it was none other than the eldest Zaki triplet clutching tight to him, hugging him for warmth, hugging him for comfort.

A hug had done so much.

"I-I won't…." Minty sniffled "Now I know I can't."

The four racers embraced, a peaceful moment away from all the shouting and negativity that had been thrown against them as of late. It was a perfect moment however, one where they felt a real sense of belong not only to the game but to each other.

No one was there to laugh at them.

No one was there to call them bullies.

The game felt like their home again.

And it was a home where they would stay.

"Ah." Minty laughed nervously as she pushed away from the others "Um…so."

Swizz looked up "Yeah?"

"What are we gonna do now? I mean….um…."

The boy tipped his hat down, a clear look of determination in his eyes "Tori?"

The youngest of the bunch looked over, shivering just a bit "Yes?"

"Didn't you say something about wanting to get Taffyta out of the Fungeon?"

"Y-Yes…." The girl nodded "But its not like I know HOW!"

"We need to gather up the guys." Swizz said as he lead the others towards the castle "We've ben so scared of Vanellope and what she would do to us? But after all this? She might have that 'power' but we still have NUMBER over her."

"Hang on now, Swizz!" Minty said, a sound of disbelief in her voice "Man, I knew my idea was crazy but if you're headin' down tha road I think-!"

"We're just gonna have a lil talk, that's all…." The boy responded "A talk that should have been done AGES ago. If Vanellope listens to us, good. But if she doesn't? If she thinks she can scare us? I think its due time we remind her that she isn't the only one who 'matters' in this game."

It didn't take long for the gang of four to grow, the racers traveling from their homes to the large Candy Castle. The enormous structure loomed over the children but they braved on. They had to, for a friend.

"I don't feel right doin' this…." Trembled Candlehead, her hand reaching for Gloyd's "I mean! What if Vanellope doesn't wanna see us?"

"She has to." Said Swizz "If she's half the leader as everyone here praises her for, she'll take the time to hear what we have to-!"

_***BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!***_

The group cried out as the entire area shook as if a bomb had been dropped, a few pieces of the castle raining down upon them.

"Everyone, look out!" cried Rancis, pushing Sakura out of the way. More cookies and candy fell, some smoldering in flames but as the group looked up….

"W-What's happ-?!"

"_**TAFFYTA?!"**_

All eyes went to the window as a figure of pink LEAPT through the air, the little racer not even taking notice of those below. Snowanna took off her glasses, rubbing her eyes just to make sure she wasn't hallucinating.

"Um, well I guess we DON'T have to worry about gettin' her out!"

But things were not over, not in the slightest.

While Taffyta had made her jump, the others realized they were still out in the open for whatever was scuttling and tearing through the castle. They could all hear it, the brays of pained characters and blood-curdling moans. The gates may have been closed but they could see the shadows of the figures, all clawing and tearing to free themselves from within.

"_**GET HER!"**_

Swizz jumped back, pushing the others with him "THAT wasn't Vanellope!"

"Sure as heck, wasn't!"

"_**DON'T JUST STAND THERE YOU IDIOTS! FIND HER! RIP HER APART!"**_

Rancis paled to white, his hair going limp "Who was-?! What's going on?!"

"I don't know…." Growled Minty, bucking down "But somethin' tells me it would be best ta get tha heck outta here!"

Minty words would have served well had they come moments before for as the group were quick to find out, escape out of the game was futile. Another large explosion rocked the area, the gates to the castle ripping off their hinges and flying through the sky. The air was hot and stung with a malicious odor of burning sugar and rotting code but the worse was yet to come. Swizz managed to get his sight back for the moment, seeing large, MONSTROUS figures stomping their way towards the small characters.

"W-What?!"

They could see glitching code, mangled figures, clouded eyes and angry looks.

Some were made of candy but some were built of different pixels.

Infected.

Controlled.

_**VIRUSES!**_

Adorabeezle scampered on the ground, clawing her way to her feet "G-G-GUYS?!"

_***GLITCH!***_

"R-Racers!" snarled the largest of the bunch, a mutated donut guard "G-G-G-get RACERS!"

_***G-G-GLITCH!***_

"M-M-MUST CONSUME!" echoed the others, their disgusting clawed hands reaching up in the air

"Er, for WHAT?!" said Sakura.

"C-CONSUME FOR THE HIVE!" droned the massive creature _**"CONSUUUUUUUUME!"**_

The mass of virus-drones rushed upon the racers but they scurried away, missing the monsters by mere inches of their claws but the chase was only beginning, the hunt had only began.

"Wh-WHAT'S HAPPENIN'?!" cried Candlehead as she ran alongside her friends "W-what are those things an' what do they want with us?!"

"I can wager a guess!" said Swizz, looking back to see the flock hot on the group's heels "But really, do ANY of ya wanna stay an' find out?!"

"_**NO!"**_

"_**THEN RUN!"**_

And off they went.

Running soon proved to be of little use to the group as the slew of virus-drones quickly caught up with the gang, the racers finding out that what powers they still possessed enabled the monsters to surround the gang, trapping them like mice!

"AAAH!" screamed Sticky as she was grabbed by one of the monsters by the ankle "Someone, help me!"

"STIX!" cried Minty, rushing in and giving the beast a good kick in the face "Ya want more?! _**I HAVE PLENTY!"**_

"Urgh, lend us some of that power, why don'tcha?!" growled Gloyd as he evaded what appeared to be an out-of-game virus "We're gettin' cornered here!"

"I can't hit twenty people at once, for cryin' out loud!" cried the girl "Sides, some of these guys are nearly THREE times my size so gimmie a break!"

"Wait, ya mean some of these guys aren't ours?" said Snowanna, holding back a couple of viruses with a sharpened candy-cane "Then where did they come from?!"

Citrusella looked over, a stunned look appearing on her face "The missing NPCs!"

"What?!"

"Didn't ya guys hear?! Some NPCs have gone missing for the last few days and-!"

"An' I guess this is where they ended up!" said Swizz as he managed to chuck a large piece of rock-candy at a virus, sending it howling back in pain "Thought some of these guys looked familiar!"

"There are too many of them!"

Indeed, the virus swarm was proving too much for the little racers. They bit, they clawed, they roared and foamed from the mouth. The dead looks in their eyes showed that whatever bits of code from their former selves were no longer there, the programming of the virus, whatever and wherever the source came from, was all that remained.

"Everyone, up!" Swizz shouted "Up the candy canes!"

"We can only go so far!" cried out Adorabeezle.

"It's the only chance we got, guys! GO!"

And up they went, the viruses nipping right at the racers' tiny heels, wanting to reach out and grab them, ready to bite and chomp the sweet code that lay within them. They were trapped, helpless to do anything but wait for the inevitable moment of infection, of deletion.

"No, no!" cried Citrusella "NO, I don't wanna die!"

Jubileena held tight to her sister, her own fears near paralyzing "J-Just hang in there, Cissy! Don't let go!"

The viruses had gathered at the bases of the candy-cane trees and were slicing away, the racers crying and screaming as they swung dangerously in the air! If something wasn't done, they would soon fall into the abyss, joining the turned characters in whatever horrid plot had been planned for the already hurt game.

"Don't ya have one of those stupid bombs of yours up your sleeve or somethin'?!" shouted Sakura towards Gloyd, slapping another virus in the face with a branch "I mean, ya ALWAAAAAAAAAYS seem ta have 'em around when ya wanna mess with US!"

Gloyd turned red in anger as he glared back at the girl "Oh, so NOW ya find me useful?! On any other day, all I'd hear is that sound of ya guys belly-achin' that my jokes go too far an'-!"

"WILL BOTH OF YA SHUT UP?!" shouted Swizz "AN' DO SOMETHIN'! WE NEED TA-!"

"Wait!" cried Candlehead who had climbed a tree to evade the mess "I think I have some power-ups in my pocket!"

"C-Butt, NO!" shouted Jubileena, already knowing the chaos that would soon happen once Candlehead pulled out her personal power-up stock "We're in trouble but NOT THAT MUCH TROUBLE!"

Minty slammed her fist into the face of another virus, giving the cherry-racer a look _**"SERIOUSLY, JUBI?!"**_

"Aw, c'mon guys!" whined the candle-headed racer whined "Ya act as if everytime I use these things, somethin' hap-!"

_Slip._

The glowing orb fell from the girl's fingers into the fray of viruses below.

"AH!" cried the girl as she scrambled for the item "D-D-Don't drop!"

In her attempts to fetch the item that she had lost, MORE began to pour from her sleeves and pockets, the orbs dropping onto the ground like rain.

"An' ya guys get on ME for hidin' stuff?!" Gloyd said "WHAT ABOUT THIS?!"

Maybe it was just a stroke of luck, dumb luck at that, but whatever it was it helped.

**POP-CORN PUMMEL!**

**FIRECRACKER-JACK!**

**JELL-O JIGGLE!**

**FIGHTING FAIRY FLOSS!**

"How many of those things did ya have stored in there, Candles?!" shouted Swizz. As if to affirm his worry, the girl reached under her hat and pulled out another handful of power-ups, her cheeks puffing out in a pout.

"Hey, these things help a lot when I bake! It's always a GOOD idea ta have a few around!"

"A few?! Candles, ya had tha entire INVENTORY with ya!"

**MOUTH BUSTERS!**

**PEANUT BUTTER PUNCHES!**

Crumbelina gave a look over to Rancis "...Was that one even REAL?"

One after another, the power-ups went off sending the hungry viruses shooting every which way as the effects of the items hit them! Some were blown up, others were launched into the sky but whatever happened to them….

"Well…we did ask for passage…."

It cleared the way for the racers.

Large explosions of multi-colored smoke filled the air, lights flashing and glitter shooting off but the sounds died down as did the screams but they were not screams from the racers. Rather, they were from the viruses and as quickly as the hunt had begun it ended just as fast.

"I-Is it over?" gulped Rancis, clutching hard onto the limb he had climb on. Crumbelina looked down, surveying the area.

"Well, no one is moving if you would consider that a good thing."

Swizzle looked down, still worried but upon looking at what lay before him, he knew there were a few precious moments he and the other racers had to leave their perches. He was the first to jump from his tree and land on the ground, his jaw dropping at what he saw.

"_Gobs…."_

"C-Can we come down now?"

"Y-Yeah." The boy signaled, a few of the racers climbing down "But don't touch anything! This entire place is RIFE with bad code!"

"Yeah, but where did it come from?" asked Sakura, her nose wrinkling in disgust "I thought that Calhouny blasted all those bady things to kingdom come when she rescued Vanellope!"

"Sakura, somethin' tells me that whole rescue bit didn't go as well as we thought…" Swizz said gravely.

Rancis wrung his hands in nervousness "D-Don't tell me. Don't tell me this is what I think it is…."

"Oooh-ho, it is…." Said Swizz backing away "It's a full infection. One that 'Vanellope' had planned all along!"

"But…but why would Vanellope want to do this?! I mean, I thought she loved it here!" said Candlehead.

"C-Butt, that ain't Vanellope sittin' in that castle…." Growled an angry Minty "But I sure can't wait ta let 'em meet my fist once we see who it is!"

"Okay, guys let's go!" said Swizz, leading the others away from the virus-carpeted landscape "We can't dawdle here any longer!"

"Yeah, I agree with that but where can we go exactly?!"

"ANYWHERE!" the boy shouted back "Just so long as we keep these guys here, then-!"

"_Uuuuuurgh….."_

Everyone froze, looking down at the remains of some of the obliterated candy viruses. Swizz could feel his blood running cold, spotting what he could only dread was some of the chunks of pastry and sugar moving. Gloyd cautiously approached his friend, a hand landing hard on his shoulder.

"_Swiiiiiizz?"_

The chunks began to moan, groan, growl and gnash. They had a duty to uphold for their master, one they refused to let rot, especially at the hands of the small candy racers. Standing in front, Swizz could only watch in horror as the candy pieces began to crawl over one another, some clutching onto one another as they twisted and wond together.

"Yeah, this is gross." Nodded Sakura "So, SO gross."

Gross wasn't enough to describe what was happening. The pieces continued to lurch on top of each other and what happened next was a sight that would never leave the minds of the racers. The pieces began to rebuild onto one another but as they were so scrambled and damaged, the end results were less than stellar. What now stood before the racers was an army of deformed, mutated infected candy people.

"_**CONSUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUME!" **_

Each one with a hungry for them!

"Guys…."

"Yeah?"

"_**RUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN!"**_

Again, the racers had no choice but to take off for their lives as the viruses rushed after them, bigger and more powerful than before! They knew they could only travel so far, only run so much before exhaustion overtook them and then-!

Then?

Then….

"I don't wanna think about it!" growled Swizz to himself, his chest burning the harder and harder he ran "G-Guys, we hafta make it up the bridge!"

"I-Is that the best option?!" panted Sakura, red in the face.

"WHERE ELSE CAN WE GO?!"

"Swizz, there are more of these things than we can handle!" said Minty "An' given how 'HONGRY' they are, they're gonna follow us no matter what! If we so much as try ta step foot out that exit, they're gonna go right for tha heart of tha station!"

"I know, I know!" the boy said, shutting his eyes tight "B-But what else can we-?!"

Wait.

An idea.

Why hadn't he thought of it before? It was a dangerous trek but if they could make it, if they could lead the viruses away.

"Everyone, hard right!"

The group cried out in confusion as Swizz then took a turn right into the entrance of the woods, the brush growing thicker and more dangerous with each step they took.

"Swizz, where are we goin'?!"

"You know where!" the boy panted back as he looked at his friends "Where's the best place ta go in a situation like this?!"

The others went silent but something sparked within their eyes.

Of course.

The one place they had always gone when they felt danger.

It was still there.

Even after the reset it had remained.

"SCATTER!"

The racers did as they were told, the lot of them breaking ranks and making the chase all the more difficult for the massive viruses that were going after them. There were too many twist and turns in the woods and the pastries were just too big to make it through. The racers on the other hand knew the area like the back of their hands, their small size making it much too easy for them to evade the marauding monsters.

"Guess all that virus programmin' didn't leave too much for stealth, eh?" smirked Snowanna as she took Adorabeezle's hand and lead her further into the woods.

"Licorice tar pits!" shouted Nougetsia "Coming up!"

"You guys know what to do!" growled Swizz.

Indeed, the little racers did. The bubbling pools of tar-like candy surrounded them, the sickly sweet smell and heavy steam hung low in the air and acted as the perfect cover for the kids. They darted to and from in front of the viruses but they could not keep up, no matter how hungry or angry they were. When one racer appeared before them, another disappeared serving to only confuse their already frazzled and fried minds. The monsters only want to consume, to destroy and when they thought they had the chance-

"C-C-CONSUME!"

One reached out, thinking that a racer was ready to grab only to fall face first into a boiling pool of melted licorice. It cried out in pain but the sticky candy had it snared and the more it struggled, the further and further it sank until finally….

Nothing.

And it wasn't the only one.

On after another, the virus candies became trapped within the pools of black licorice, reaching up for the skies and crying out in a chocked, glitched bray but their master did not appear before them to help. They only sank, down, down, down.

Glitches.

Cries.

Bubbles.

Then…..

Nothing.

The fog began to lift, revealing the racers standing at the end of the pools. They had only been inches away but they knew where to stand, where to go to save themselves but that didn't make things any better for them. They were still trapped in the game without any clue as to what was happening.

Adorabeezle gulped back, trying to push back her nausea at the sight of the sinking viruses "W-What's happening?"

"I wish I knew…." Said Swizz, brushing back his bangs in anger "But now-!"

_***BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!***_

The group cried out once more as they were thrown from their feet, another explosion rocking their home.

"Don't tell me there's more!" said Minty but Sticky stood up, looking up in the air.

"TAFFYTA!"

"Taffyta?!" said Rancis as he managed to catch sight of the girl out from the opening of the brush "Oh my GOBS! It is!"

"What is she doin'? Is she okay?" asked a worried Candlehead. Swizz moved forward and squinted his eyes, trying his best to make clear of what was going on.

"She….she's on the bridge but-!"

"But what?!"

"I can't see tha rest of it! IT'S GONE!"

"What do ya mean it's gone?!" Minty said in worry, shaking the boy.

"I can't say any more than that, Mintz! The bridge is gone!"

"But she made it out alright, right?!"

From his position, Swizz could barely see the little pink racer limp from the entrance, the viruses that were after her falling from the great height back into the forest.

If Taffyta had managed to escape….

Then maybe help WOULD come!

"Guys, we need to hide…" the boy said as he walked further into the forest.

"But Swizzle!"

"Not now! We can discuss things we get to the base!"

Base?

What base?

The group hurried along, battered, bruised but they didn't skip a beat on their trek. The forest grew thicker and darker, the leaves and vines engulfing them like a blanket and just when it seemed that the group had become lost they stopped. Stopped right at a large boulder covered in brush and logs.

"All things clear?" asked Swizz. The others nodded as he signaled for Minty "Do the honors, Mintz."

Minty walked ahead and with all her strength pushed the large boulder out of the way, the others quickly jumping into the hole that was revealed, the thing mysteriously rolling back into place once the last racer had made their way in.

They slid down turn-ways, going upside down and through loops and corkscrews. The journey went past lights and flashes, the ending unknown….at least to those outside the game.

Finally the slide ended, the racers landing softly atop a large marshmallow cushion. The room was dark with the exception of a few dimly glowing gumdrops that jutted from the crags of the small room. Swizz moved first, going out to turn the dial on the light mechanism, the room finally going aglow.

The room was covered from wall to wall with posters, with books and with other supplies, a bunker the children had built for themselves in case of emergencies.

Emergencies like this.

They remembered when they had built it, of those days so long ago. During the days of King Candy, when his words of Vanellope's destruction had put fear into their hearts. It had been built in case she had tried to race, in case things had gone so bad that the racers needed a place to hide before things were set back to what they should have been.

When the truth had come out, when their memories had been restored, they realized that the true monster the shelter would actually protect them from was King Candy himself but even after everything, even after Vanellope had told them they could trust her they had never told the girl about the bunker. The bunker was theirs, the final thing in the game the group felt was secretly shard between themselves, without the intrusion or jeers from outsiders of the game.

It was their last place of peace, their last place to stay safe.

"It's been a while since we've been here…." Rancis said mournfully as he brushed some dust off the shelves "I….I've always hoped we'd never have to come back to be honest."

"Until signs say otherwise, this is the safest place for us to be, Rancis." Said Swizz "We can't make a move til then…."

"But….but what if things get worse from here?" meeped Adorabeezle, shivering so hard that more and more snow flaked onto the ground "No one knows we're trapped!"

"Taffyta made it out…." The lollipop-racer said, a serious look on his face "And if I know her, she's not gonna stop."

"Can we really trust her on this?" said Minty "I-I don't wanna sound like I don't believe in her but-"

"We gotta, guys….." said Swizzle, looking at the others "For our sake, for the game's sake. We gotta hope that Taffy made it out alive."


	31. Chapter 31- Inner Space

Chapter Thirty One- Inner Space

"_Taffyta? Taffyta, are you okay?"_

"Hmmmm?"

"_Baby, wake up!"_

Taffyta felt hot, she felt tired, her limbs felt heavy. Where was she? What had happened? She looked ahead, seeing a few blurred figures standing above her. She couldn't tell who they were as they didn't LOOK to be any characters she knew.

But…

Somehow.

"How long has she been out?" asked the male of the two turning towards the shrouded figured next to him.

"I just found her like this!" said the female, worry clear in her voice "C-Call 911! We might-!"

"W-wait…" the girl mumbled "W-what's-?!"

"Taffyta?!"

"W-Who-?!"

"Taffyta, keep talking darling!" the female said, her large hands reaching out and feeling as if they were picking the girl up "Say something! Keep talking to mama!"

Mama?

"I knew she would wake up, Malva!" said the male "Taffyta could beat this!"

"Oh, Berlingots! I just don't know what I would have done had she-!"

Malva?

Berlingots?

Those names.

Those names were so familiar.

Taffyta's heart began to flutter faster and faster, realizing who she was in the presense of.

"Mom? Dad?!"

"A-Ah-huh?!" said the one that must have been Malva. Her features were coming in clearer but not by much. Taffyta could see the shape, the figure, her mouth all a-smiles in hope. The same could be said for the shorter male figure, his smile the clearest feature about him.

"Taffyta! I-I can't believe this has happened!"

"W-What happened?"

"This is all our fault!"

"W-What's all your fault?"

The man was crying, his sobs echoing all around as Taffyta felt her body becoming lighter, as if she were floating in air.

"Bernie, it's okay! Don't cry!"

He continued to cry, continued to sob, the sounds echoing all over. Taffyta still could not move herself freely, the will of whatever was around her doing it for her. The hold of Malva was weakening around her as if the child was being taken from her by some unseen force.

"M-mom!"

Malva fell to her knees and clutched onto Berlingots, silent and shaking as the man continued to cry. Taffyta floated higher and higher, faster and faster but the further she got she began to notice things were starting to clear.

"M-MOM! DAD!"

She could see them better, the two figures surrounded by darkness, a single light shined upon both.

"Don't treat her that way because she's my daughter!" Berlingots cried "She's not like me! She's not a criminal!"

Taffyta was finding her strength again, her little arms and legs flailing as she floated weightlessly into the air. She reached out a tiny hand but she was too far.

"DAD! DADDY!"

And then…

They looked up.

She could see them.

She could see their faced.

Taffyta stopped her struggling, she stopped because she was stunned at what she had seen.

After all this time of searching, after all this time of wondering she had seen them.

Malva Muttonfudge.

Berlingots Muttonfudge.

Her parents.

She now remembered Malva, her chocolate brown skin, her yards and yards of fluffy pink curls, her strawberry red eyes. She remembered Bernlingots, how out of the both….it was HIM.

HE was the one she took after.

Same berry-blue eyes.

Same cream-white hair.

Same chocolate brown brows, same as his mustache

They looked at her as she floated away from their grasps but why weren't they moving? Why couldn't they do anything.

"I'm sorry." The man said before crying again "I'm sorry I couldn't help you. That I couldn't protect you from him. From any of them!"

"DADDY!"

"I'M SORRY!"

"MOM!" Taffyta cried out as she reached down again, the light pulling her further and further away from her family "DADDY! NO! NO I WANNA BE WITH YOU! I WANNA BE WITH-!"

LIGHT.

SILENCE.

…..Pie?

"I…I think she's comin' too!" said a familiar voice, Taffyta feeling sick and sore as she began to arise from her slumber. She moaned, trying to move but her limbs felt like stale cake, her legs feeling even worse. She was covered in a mass of warm blankets, bandages wrapped around various parts of her body.

If anyone had seen her, they would have been certain she was in a wreck.

But what had happened….

"Taffyta?"

"Mmmmm….."

Was MUCH worse.

"Is the child alright?" said the voice of another male in the room "Did the anti-viral actually work?"

"H-Have some faith, Genie. It looks like it did."

"_M-Mom? Dad?"_ Taffyta called out again, still dizzy, still hoping that if she were to open her eyes they would be there along with the other voices "W-Who-?"

"She's alive!" cried the jubilant voice of Felix as he leapt into the air "Oh thank tha programmers she's alive!"

"Wh….where am I?" Taffyta croaked, her eyes clearing to see that she was surrounded by fancy wall paper, the room toasty warm with a scent of strawberry pie in the air.

Niceland.

She looked further to see that she had been carried into the apartment of Nicelander Mary, Ralph and Felix sitting next to her as the little Nicelander blotted her forehead with a cloth.

"Oh thank goodness…" sighed the pink Nicelander "For a moment there, we had all feared the worse."

"The-the worse?" Taffyta mumbled, struggling to sit up "What happened again? I-It feels like I've been stretched an' pulled."

"Ya crashed, that's what."

The girl looked to her side to see Calhoun sitting next to her, a grave look on her face.

"I-I crashed?"

"Yeah. Bad crash too, brought on by infection from a VIRUS!"

The viruses.

In her worry, the racer had nearly forgotten about them.

"O-Oh NO!" the girl gasped, forcing herself up further but Mary held her back.

"Not yet child, not yet."

"S-Sarge! S-Sugar Rush! It's been invaded!"

"By WHAT?!"

"VIRUSES!" Taffyta blurted out "V-Viruses like the ones that attacked me!"

"Is it true?" gulped Gene, Taffyta peering over to see the man slowly grabbing Mary's hand in worry "So all those rumors going around WERE true? That a virus had gotten out?"

Calhoun growled in anger, realizing just how large the situation had become.

"Damn it…..we sent in a mission with my best men ta save Nelly from a virus only ta find out MORE got in! I just wanna know HOW!"

"It's Vanellope!"

"What!?"

"I mean-!" Taffyta corrected herself "It's NOT Vanellope, but someone or something that took her place!"

"Ya sure she's not infected, kid?" asked Ralph, the strawberry racer shaking her head no.

"No. No, Vanellope isn't infected but she was TRAPPED!"

"Trapped?!"

"It's been here the entire time…." Taffyta began, clutching onto the blankets that wrapped her "Wh-When ya left me big guy…I went back ta tha castle!"

"YA WENT BACK THERE?!" Ralph said in shock "BUT-! But I told ya ta come here as soon as possible?! Why did ya go back?!"

"I-! I just had to, okay!?" Taffyta wheezed, too scared to look at the massive Wrecker "I went back to the castle an-and at first? I-I thought Vanellope was apologizing to me! I mean that's the way she played it off!"

"B-but what happened?" asked Felix in great worry "H-How did ya find out-?"

"It was when she….no, whatever that thing was lead me into the bedroom! Vanellope had this mirror in her room but….Vanellope. OUR Vanellope was the one inside!"

Ralph blanched "Ya mean ta tell me that Vanellope has been in tha arcade tha entire time….an' some DOUBLE took over?!"

"We've been played AGAIN?!"

"I-I couldn't get her out! I don't know WHAT that thing was made of but even if I tried kicking it, I don't think it would have broken! I tried to save Sour Billy but he jumped in with all these other virus guys and-! AND-!"

Taffyta was nearly hyperventilating as all the memories of what happened flashed before her eyes in rapid succession. The chase, the fight, right up to the moment that she was bitten and infected. Her heart felt like it had stopped, the girl looking down towards her leg in worry.

"Taffyta?!"

It felt odd.

It felt weird and when she pulled the covers off….

"Kid, wait-!"

Grey.

Her legs were splotched with a disgusting, molted grey color.

"W-What happened?! WHAT IS THIS?!"

"Kid, I'm sorry…" Calhoun said, her face showing anger but her voice revealing the sorrow within as she watched the child panic over the condition of her leg "We were able to stop the infection from killin' ya….but…."

The young child looked at the marine, her eyes filled with fear. Calhoun couldn't take it; even as hardened as she was what was unfolding before her now was now backstory. This was real and what shocked her the most was that it was Taffyta Muttonfudge who was looking at the woman for answers, look a lost child to their mother.

Calhoun never thought such a thing would happen between her and the racer.

"They always leave a mark."

"W-What does?!"

"Viruses…." Calhoun said, growing more disgusted as the images popped into her head "It doesn't matter how much anti-virus ya pump in a person, there will always, ALWAYS, be scars."

Physically….

And mentally.

Taffyta didn't know how to react, feeling itching and nauseous at her body. She could have sworn she still felt the virus coding burrowing within her, moving under her skin and flesh. She started to cry, reaching down and scratching feverishly at the surface of her legs, tearing at the skin with her nails madly.

"Get it out, get it out, get it out!" she cried as the adults rushed towards her, Felix taking her arms and holding her back but she thrashed in his hold "GET IT OUT OF ME! GET IT OUT OF ME!"

"There's nothing to worry about, Muttonfudge…._Taffyta._" Calhoun said, correcting herself "The virus is outta ya but I told ya….there will always be scars."

Taffyta couldn't believe it, she just couldn't. It was almost as if things had been going from bad to worse since Turbo had been revealed to have toyed with her home with no end anywhere in sight.

She had lost her placement in the races.

Characters she once through were allies had abandoned her.

The entire arcade had gone on a vendetta against her and the other racers.

The viruses….

And now this.

Taffyta felt like a FREAK with her discolored and wounded legs.

What would the others say when they found out about this?

They would use it against her, use it against her like they had done with so many things.

It was no use.

She had failed.

The girl felt empty, useless and with her final hopes of making a stance, of recreating her path now dashed she began to cry. It was a weak, thin cry, one that made all the adults in the room go silent. They wanted to help but what could they really do in such a situation? All of them, not even Calhoun, knew how to work with what was going on. In the case of Candybug, his defeat now seemed easy but the situation that was happening now only kept growing and growing and growing with no possible end in sight.

Ralph watched, he watched on but there something going on in the man's heart. He had KNOWN of some of the incidents that had taken place in Sugar Rush once Vanellope had gotten reinstated. He had KNOWN of some of the things that had been done to the racers and as he watched Taffyta, a nine year old girl who had been near torn apart PHYSICALLY, he realized something.

These kids had all been hurt.

The more Taffyta wept, the more he listened to her cry, he realized that they WERE alone and no one had helped them at all recover from the things that had been stolen from THEM. The entire situation in Sugar Rush HAD been terribly one sided in how the recovery had been handled. It was an entire arcade against children who had no one else to comfort them, no one else to run home to for safety.

Vanellope had EVERYONE.

She had Ralph, she had Felix, she had Calhoun, she had the ENTIRE ARCADE singing her praises, cheering her on, and supporting her.

But as Taffyta cried on the couch, Ralph realized that if something were to happen, that if the worst outcome had been reached then she would be alone. She HAD been alone since the game went back to 'normal' and those around her, those around the other racers, had LAUGHED. They had laughed, they had bullied, they had TORMENTED the racers when they were at their weakest, only proving that the cycle of loneliness, the cycle of isolation, and the cycle of bullying was NEVER going to end….

Unless.

"Taffyta?"

Unless someone stepped in to do something about it.

The girl looked up at Ralph, tears rolling down her cheeks. There was no make-up this time, no drama, no humor.

This was true pain.

"Kid, you're gonna be fine." The man said, true warmth and comfort in his voice as he spoke to the girl "We're gonna make sure that all'a this is gonna stop."

The strawberry racer didn't know what to say. She was certain that of all people Ralph would have been the last person to do anything for her. But then again, he was also the one who let her go when the Imitation Vanellope had ordered she be put into the Fungeon, what tortures awaiting for her still a mystery. Her trust having been shattered so many times before, Taffyta tried to tell herself that Ralph wasn't actually being nice to her, that it wasn't real but the mask had been dropped. Taffyta was no longer the image of Turbo's pampered little racer.

She was the little nine year old girl she had always been.

"W-What?"

"We're gonna take care of ya an' all this." The big man said "We just need ta know tha full of it. What happened an' what exactly is goin' on."

Taffyta gulped back, her hands shivering "L-Like I said, th-the virus has Vanellope trapped in this mirror! Or-! Or I don't know anymore! I don't know how long I've been out and if a lotta time has passed, who knows what could have happened to Vanellope!"

"Then there's no time ta waste!" growled Calhoun as she got to her feet, blood pumping and ready to fight "If that thing gets any more infected, we could have a real crises on our hands, a REAL virus infection!"

"But how do we stop a REAL infection?" asked Felix "I-I mean-! If these things are as power as ya say they are-!"

"We're gonna hafta do another reset!"

"Another one?" asked Taffyta, Calhoun nodding.

"Yeah but it won't wipe this bug out entirely! It's not tha same situation we had with King Candy! At least with him, we were dealin' with some ass who THOUGHT he was a virus! This time, it's tha real thing!"

"But if a reset won't erase it, then why-?"

"Because in that moment tha computer is goin' back, it opens up a moment. A moment when even a virus has no power over how tha computer is rewritin' itself an' in that moment BLAM!"

Everyone in the room jumped at the sound Calhoun had made, not expecting the marine to be so graphic in her stories.

"We shoot an anti-virus in its face an' DEAD. It's gone!"

"A-Are you gonna give it the same stuff that you used on ME?" asked Taffyta.

"No, your savior was a low dosage. If this is at all as bad as ya say it is, then we're gonna need a LOT MORE juice ta give it tha send off it deserves!"

"Then let's not waste anymore time!" growled Ralph, his huge fist waiting for battle "Ms. Mary? Big Gene?"

"Yes?" said the pink Nicelander "What is it, young man."

"Taka care'a Taffyta for us. She's gonna need-!"

"NO!"

The adults looked around, watching as Taffyta began dragging herself off the couch, an angered look on her face.

"No, what?"

"No, there is NO WAY you're gonna leave me here!"

"Child, you must be joking!" said Gene as he took Taffyta by the hand, trying to get her to rest on the couch "With the condition that you are in-!"

"FORGET THAT!" shouted the girl "Vanellope is in some mirror, the rest of my friends are in danger?! There is NO WAY I'm gonna just sit here and WAIT for something-!"

"Kid, look!" said Ralph as he picked the girl off the ground "I-! I know you're upset about what's goin' on…I am too, but I can't risk it!"

"You can't risk WHAT?!" the pink racer growled as she tried to pry her arms from Ralph's strong hold.

"I don't wanna see ya hurt, that's what! Any more than ya already are!"

Was Ralph being honest in his statements?

Taffyta looked surprised, her struggles stopped.

"D-Do….do you really mean that?"

"Yes!" the big man nodded in worry "W-Why would ya think otherwise?"

"B-Because….because of the way I treated Vanellope all these years."

Now it was Ralph's turn to look stunned, Taffyta's voice soft and shaking a bit.

"I-I-! I-I know about that, but kid-!"

"Mr. Ralph….why are you being so nice to me?" the girl asked "No one else is and I would have thought that since you're so close to Vanellope, you would have joined in with everyone else. I thought you would _**HATE**_ me."

"H-hate ya?"

"Yes, hate me." The girl continued "And if you do….I don't blame you. I just hope that you trust me long enough to understand what's going on, that none of what happened to Vanellope now was our fault. If you'd just listen to me on that, it would be enough."

Ralph blushed, feeling guilt forming in his heart with the way the Sugar Rush racer was looking at him. He couldn't hide the fact that before he was ANGRY at Taffyta and the other kids with the way they had treated Vanellope when he first arrived in Sugar Rush but there was ONE thing that the man had done when he learned the truth.

He had LISTENED.

He had listened and gotten as much information as he could to what the fake monarch had done not just to VANELLOPE but to EVERY RACER AND CITIZEN in the game. It had haunted him though it was something he had never confided in Vanellope because he had KNOWN Turbo from the past and he was aware of how well he could manipulate people in his own right. He couldn't stop thinking about it; how Turbo had gone into a game and rewired children's' BRAINS to implant himself into thinking that HE was the only one who cared about them, that HE was the only figure they should worship and love and that above everything, that HIS condition of them was the right image.

Their stories had been stolen, their histories had been stolen.

Their LIVES had been stolen.

Vanellope might have gotten the worst of it, had suffered the most under the rule of the King but it was insane and near insulting to claim that the other racers were NEVER effected by ANYTHING nor that they were now suffering for Turbo's actions in the present.

No, Ralph couldn't hate them. He could not hate children who at the end of the day NEVER had a chance to defend themselves and their home from a man who had used them as mere PUPPETS. As PLAYTHINGS.

As OBJECTS.

Ralph knew what it felt like to be used as one of Turbo's pawns.

And he had no excuse.

He HAD his conscience intact for BOTH times.

"Mr. Wreck-it?"

"Y-Yeah, kid?"

"I found out something about my parents."

"A-An' what was that?"

"I learned from that book that my dad was a bad guy."

Both Felix and Ralph looked stunned.

"A-a bad guy?"

"Yes." The girl smiled, almost in a bittersweet way "My father was Berlingots Muttonfudge and he was a bad guy because he worked for Fernardo Candicus and with their caravan of candies, they had once planned to take over the kingdom, long before any of us were born."

"Candicus….don't tell me-!"

"That's the man Turbo borrowed the image of to put on his King Candy disguise." The girl continued "He was an unused character in the game but I guess his assets were still there for anyone to use. The more I read that book, the more I saw just how much he had stolen from all of us. Candicus' form, the king's regalia, something from each of our home and lands. He had stolen it from us, and stolen our stories as well."

The girl laughed softly much to the surprise of the adults around her.

"The way he had played it out? It was his twisted version of what happened in the main story of Sugar Rush but he knew everything about us, even though we could not recall anything for ourselves. He knew our weaknesses and played to them. He knew what hurt us the most, he knew what made us happy, what made us cry. He knew everything but because he held the key he could get us to act in any way he wanted us to.

"I….I can't believe this happened right under our noses…." Mary said, sounding sick as she began clutching her left arm in nervousness, Gene pulling her closer.

"I think that's why he chose me."

"Chose ya for what exactly, kiddo?" asked Calhoun.

"Out of EVERYONE he could have chosen to be his number one, he picked me. The girl who's dad used to work for the guy he stole the image of. It was like I was DESTINED to be connected to him somehow but…."

"Yeah?"

"Daddy might have been taken in by Candicus. He might have worked for him but before I was born, he did something wonderful."

"W-what did he do?"

"He helped take down Candicus, the man who told him that he couldn't be anything but his follower, that no one would trust him or love him because of the things he had done."

_You think you can leave me, runt?! That you can just leave and act as if your history is so sweet?!_

_You don't own me, Fernardo! You never have!_

_You can never escape what you have done or how your hands have helped me get the hold I have now! You are bad, Berlingots! AND THAT'S ALL YOU'LL EVER BE!_

"In the end, he helped my mother, and all the other parents, take down Candicus but in those years that followed my daddy had to live with what he did. He knew that his association with Candicus would never disappear and it affected both my mother and me. But we loved him. We both loved him so much."

The girl smiled, a few tears running down her face.

"I'm the daughter of a bad guy. And in the story, I race to prove to clear his name, to show that we are just more than what the kingdom has made us. That's why I race. I never raced for Turbo but even so, it seems that I can never escape the image of being someone rotten."

"N-No wonder you were so upset when that…that virus I can assume told tha entire crowd." Said Felix "They would have-!"

"That's not it, Mr. Fix-It." Taffyta interrupted "Y-Yeah, I was angry because people might use it but I was more upset that they tried to insult my FAMILY. What they had called my mom and dad? It broke me but their past doesn't worry me. When I had found out the truth about my backstory, it didn't bother me that my father was a bad-guy."

"Why not?" asked Ralph "I mean-! Er, there's absolutely nothing wrong with being a bad guy or being the daughter of one!"

"I know that. I know that because unlike Turbo….my daddy LOVED me." Smiled Taffyta "BOTH my parents loved me. My mother had been through so much in her life even before she met daddy that she taught me how to be strong against people who tried to use my family's history against me, or she tried to. It was hard. It was VERY hard and in our story, I use that strength to develop a love for racing. My love for racing came from my love for my FAMILY. It's a memory that Turbo had taken, replacing it with his own image. When he was in charge, I only raced to make him proud, to be his little pet. But when I read that book, what little memories I could recall, mom and daddy never treated me like their pet, their thing. They loved me. What I had with them was true love….and that's all I've EVER wanted since the first reset, for myself and everyone else…."

The little racer's fingers dug into the blankets again.

"We just can't escape it though. I was trying to do something good for once, something good to get everyone to stop being so mean to us but in the end, I just brought more HATE to Sugar Rush didn't I? It's a hate we can never escape and it's all m-!"

"Taffyta."

"Y-Yes, sir?"

"I don't hate ya."

The girl's eyes widen once those words came from Ralph's mouth and she wasn't the only one shocked to hear them. Even Felix and Calhoun looked at the man, his honestly coming on both like one of the brick walls he usually broke down.

"Taffyta….I don't hate ya. An' Vanellope doesn't either."

"W-What?"

"We've talked. We've talked a lot since all of this has happened an' as time went on, she started ta open up more an' more about ya guys. But more importantly than that, she opened up about how WORRIED she was."

"Sh-she was worried? About us?"

"Yes." The man nodded "Ya wanna know why Vanellope wanted ta throw that party? Tha real reason?"

The girl nodded, waiting for the reveal.

"Because she wanted ta show that ya guys ARE racers, that ya didn't follow Turbo by choice nor did ya believe in him now. She wanted ta throw that party ta have FUN with ya again, ta remind ya that Sugar Rush is your home as well….."

Vanellope had done all of that….for the racers.

She didn't have to but she did.

All this time, Taffyta and the others had worried so much that nothing would change, that no matter what they did they could never escape the shadow that Turbo's foul legacy had ensnared them but Vanellope was trying, trying SO HARD to, break all of it. Much like how Taffyta herself had gone on a journey to find her stories, Vanellope had made up her own to make Sugar Rush enjoyable for EVERYONE.

It said something to the strawberry racer, that while stories were important, while she wanted to recover her memories, in the present Vanellope was doing it all to have her own voice heard and it was a voice she was trying to give to the racers.

Both girls had their missions….but they had gone TERRIBLY.

Vanellope had been captured.

Taffyta had left her friends in the game.

"I haft go back…."

"Taffyta, we already explained this-!"

"No, you don't understand!" the girl shouted "Since Turbo went down I've been told over and over and OVER again that I'm a cry-baby! That I'm too girly! Too weak! That I'll never be like Vanellope!"

Felix stretched out a worrying hand towards the girl "W-We understand that hurts but-!"

"Darn right it hurts! It hurts even worse when you have people getting in your way to stop it! But Vanellope proved that she could beat the odds, why can't I!?"

"Kid, tha situation is DIFFERENT!" said Calhoun, feeling increasingly unease "At least this time we're a lil more equipped ta fight off this thing an'-!"

"I don't care." The girl huffed, standing up and finding that her legs held strong beneath her "I'm going with you."

"NO!" said Calhoun "An' that's a direct order, Ms. Muttonfudge!"

"Sargent Calhoun…." Taffyta said, her tony snappy "Do you even know where to begin?"

"What are ya talkin' about?"

"You've be in this arcade for, what, a couple'a months now right?" the girl purred, a hand going to her hip without even thinking "That is not all enough time to explore ANY of the locations in our game!"

"I've been in there enough times!" Calhoun responded but she answered so suddenly it came out more like a child than what she had hoped.

"Do you know about the Sugar Caves? Where razor-sharp stalactite and stalagmites grow?"

"What?"

"Or the black licorice tar pits? One false move and GAME OVER."

"Missy, this isn't tha time-!"

"There are twisted jungles, wild animal crackers, so many thing that YOU guys don't know about."

The girl turned, eyes shooting out a glare that could cut through stone.

**"BUT I DO."**

"O-Okay, so there are certain areas we still need ta explore…." Coughed the marine.

"I know I like pink. I know that people would think I am too dainty and girly…."

"Taffyta?"

"But I have explored those lands. I have walked all the paths." Taffyta continued "King Candy told me that it was unbecoming of me to do it and I'm pretty sure Vanellope must have joked that a 'girl like me' wouldn't be able to make it compared to her. But she doesn't know. She doesn't know how much I explored on my own, how long I've been out, where my legs have taken me."

The girl felt her lips curling into a teasing smile the more she thought.

"_It's in my code."_

"Muttonfudge?"

"I'm going." The girl said, her mind made up "My home is in danger, my friends are in danger and right now I'm the only one who knows where that virus is situated and the best way to maneuver around the game."

"But kid!"

"Think about it! If I get a Game Over, so what? I'll come back up in no time! If you guys take the wrong move, the wrong turn you're done for and then WHO will help?"

Try as she might Calhoun knew that Taffyta was right. They girl was their walking map, the only key to getting in and saving Vanellope before the virus consumed her and the entire arcade.

But she was just a kid! She could never let a child into such a danger zone! Even if Taffyta had in-game immunity, she couldn't handle the thought of seeing her in danger, to become even more gravely injured even after the viruses had attacked her!

But-

But….

"Sarge?" asked Ralph "W-What's the plan?"

The marine said nothing, her eyes shut as she sat down. She thought, she thought….she thought….

"Kid?"

"Yes, ma'am…."

A smirk formed on the woman's face "Where do I keep findin' all these stubborn characters?"

"This is Litwak's. We're all hard-headed."

"An' brave hearted, though maybe foolishly." Said the tall woman "But…."

What was she going to say?

What was she going to say?

"We're gonna need ya."

"TAMMY!" gasped Felix, turning white "Sh-she's justa kid who-!"

"She's just'a kid, yeah…but he's just a ham fisted Wrecker, YOU'RE just a energetic Repairman, an' I'm just a trigger happy space-marine. We're all a group'a crazies ready ta blow some virus scum OUTTA this arcade!"

Taffyta then knew.

She had gotten Calhoun's good side.

The mission was a go!

No time was wasted to get suited up, Calhoun going to Hero's Duty and gathering her best and brightest to join in on the battle as well as loading up on nearly all the anti-virals the game had available.

"These were all we could get the counter to give us now!" said Mouse "Ya think this will be good enough?"

"Hopefully, it is." Said Calhoun "We just need ta find tha heart of that thing, hit reset an' blow it ta Hell."

Guns.

Armor.

Fist.

Hammer.

Strawberries.

The group walked down the halls of Game Central Station, onlookers standing aside in awe at the parade of characters but most of all little girl in the pink dress and hurt legs.

"What happened to Muttonflub?"

"Why are her legs like that?"

"Ew, is that a glitch?"

"Where does she think she's going with them?"

"Does she really think she can fight?"

"She has no powers like Vanellope!"

"She's just a crybaby!"

"She's just a bully!"

Bully!

**Bully!**

_**BULLY!**_

But they no longer affected as they had before.

She cast them a sharp glint from the side, taking a lollipop and twirling it in her fingers. They all seemed surprised by her reaction, the girl snapping her fingers tartly and standing on her tip-toes with ease and grace.

Something was going on in her mind.

And she was pumped and ready to go.

"Okay everyone." Calhoun said, cocking her gun "Let's do this."


	32. Chapter 32- The Kids are Alright

Chapter Thirty Two –The Kids are Alright

Sugar Rush was in gloom.

Dark skies, sick lands, dying power.

It was all around as far as the eye can see and the feeling was leeching out through the only remaining entrance of the game. Those in the Station could feel it, they could hear it yet no one dared to go in.

Long ago there had been much big talk going on, about how some characters would do anything should something happen to the leader inside, anything to save Vanellope.

Right now?

They were on the sidelines, shaking where they stood at what could possibly invade the arcade now. But there were a few brave enough to go in. A few who knew that there was no time to wait, no time to fuss, no time to argue about roles, about powers, about any of that things.

They had a game to save.

The burnt entrance of the game was still, the door hanging in midair almost like a dark reminding to those who were left uninfected that there was no escape, that they could never leave.

But then…

"_Let's go."_

A small trail of rope slithered out of the hole, then another, then another, then another. Moments later, dark-clad figures began climbing down, down, down into the deepest parts of the candy forest. They landed in the thick, severing their lines and making sure that no one had been spotted. A woman lead the two, guns ready and eyes looking. Beside her was a small figure, her design and bright colors sticking out like a sore thumb amongst all the soldiers.

"_Which way?"_

_"This way."_ Said Taffyta, breaking through and now leading the group.

An entire army of Hero's Duty guards were following Taffyta's lead as she made the path through the brush and jungle to the hide out. Ralph was at the tail end of the group, the man feeling his skin crawl as he heard and saw eyes looking down towards him, not sure if it was normal wildlife or perhaps a virus ready to stalk and consume him.

Either way, he knew he wasn't in the friendly parts of Sugar Rush anymore.

Taffyta was making it through the brush with surprising grace, the girl twisting an flipping over branches, vines, and logs without a challenge but she had to stop at times if she needed to assist the larger characters when they got caught in the tangles.

"Told you it would be tough…." The girl said coolly, taking Calhoun by her free hand and leading her further and further into the clearing.

"Anyone gettin' anythin' on tha radar?"

"There's so much corruption…" growled Mouse, reading her counter-screen "An' its all centered at tha castle!"

"Tell team B ta surround tha area! Help anyone who might be trapped along tha outta boarder!" commanded Calhoun "Right now, we gotta find those kids."

The trek continued above ground, while below?

The Sugar Rush racers lay silent in their hide-out, many holding onto each other for comfort and protection. They armed themselves with the few make-shift weapons they could find and make but all they could do was wait. Wait for any sign, any signal.

_Just wait._

The room was dimly lit with the glow of the candies, hearts racing and fear growing. The lot had never been so scared in their lives, even when Candybug began to attack but they couldn't show it. Not this time, not this battle.

If something were to happen this time, they would have choice but to fight.

Suddenly there was a bump from above. They shuffled, looking up at the ground shook, the ceiling raining down small bits of dirt.

_"Do you think it's a virus?!"_ asked Sticky.

"_If it is…"_ growled Minty _"I'm ready for it!"_

The ground continued to shake, the tremors getting harder and harder, CLOSER AND CLOSER! The group held their breaths but they were ready, they were ready for whatever was about to come down those doors.

_*Dingle-ling!*_

"_Was that...?"_

_*Dingle-lingle-ling!*_

There was a bell situated near the entrance of the hide-out and it continued to ring in rhythm. Swizz shot to his feet, the ringing continuing as he got closer.

It was a code!

"_C-Can it be?_"

An echo moaned through the slide, something getting closer and closer! The kids whimpered, they shivered but Swizz stood on by!

It had to be!

"GUYS!"

TAFFYTA MUTTONFUDGE!

The group looked silently shocked for a moment before the sprang to their feet and ran towards the girl.

"Taffyta!"

"Oh, my gobs!"

"Ya made it back! But how-!"

"I had a lil help…" the girl said, surrounded by questions and hugs from the group "No, check that. A LOTTA help!"

"Help?" asked Rancis "From WHOM?"

"_**WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOA-OOF!"**_

Who should then appear from the slide, landing face-first on the ground, but Felix. The little repairman shook his head clear, looking around the place in wonder.

"Golly geeze! Haven't been through a turn-pipe like that since Sonic dared me to go through one of his terrible water levels!"

"Ya brought Mr. Felix?" said Sakura, looking on in surprise.

"He's not the only one!" the strawberry girl grinned, standing powerfully before the group….but as the seconds passed nothing happened. Taffyta opened her eyes and looked back, noticing that the tunnel to the hideout was chillingly empty.

"Um, I said…..h-he's not the ONLY one!"

_***KA-CHUNK!***_

_**"DAMN IT!"**_

The kids gasped in shock, Felix scrambling to figure out which ears to cover but there were just too many heads around him.

"Tamera!" he blushed brightly "Goodness, gracious! There are kids here!"

"Urgh! DON'T YA THINK I KNOW THAT?!" the marine called, a few large chunks of dirt rolling from the tunnel into the hideout but Calhoun didn't arrive "J-Just gimme a-!"

"Uh…..Ms. Sergeant Tamera Jean Calhoun?" asked Candlehead.

_"Y-Yeah?"_

"….Are…are ya stuck?"

"…_no?"_

"I'll get the rope…" said Snowanna as she went back to the supply closet.

"Okay, WHO was tha one who told ya ta remove SOME of that junk before ya came in?"

"Felix, this is no time ta scold me! B-Besides, I'm bigger than all of ya!"

"Tha place is roomy enough. Ya could have gotten down here with ease if ya took off at least HALF off those guns!"

"GAH! HONEY!"

"Wait…" Gloyd said, eyes darting about grinning brightly "She brought her guns?"

The marine was finally helped into the clubhouse, a feat met with plenty of protest, a few off-fired shots and finally a pouty marine who removed EVERY bit of her outter armor to finally get in.

"Why do ya have a drawing of a mouse with a bow on your shoulders?" asked Adorabeezle, poking the woman on her back "Is that Min-?"

Calhoun's eyes shot over to Felix "Dear."

"Oh, Taffyta! Ya don't know how happy we are ta see your big pink butt!" Snowanna said joyfully "We thought ya were done for when ya blew up tha bridge!"

"It was the only thing going through my head to keep the viruses from going into the station." The girl said, suddenly looking sad "Urgh, if I had gone out to find your guys first, maybe I would have been able to get you out before though."

"Ya didn't hafta worry 'bout us!" smiled Candlehead "We got her all safe n' sound!"

"Yeah, if ya call skippin' through deadly tar-pits an' havin' virus donuts nippin' at your heels FUN, C-Butt." Huffed Gloyd.

"We're just glad you're alright, luv." Said Rancis "It's great to know that not all of us have fallen into whatever dastardly hands are now in the castle."

"S-So are we going to get out of here?" shivered Adorabeezle "I-I mean! We have to! We can't just stay here!"

Taffyta looked gravely at the others, her eyes going cold "Guys….We're not running this time."

"What?!" gasped Torvald.

"Are you NUTS?!" shouted Nougetsia "H-how-!? Why do you want to stay and fight?! It's not like we can do anything!"

"Yes, we can!" Taffyta roared "Guys, we know the land of this place better than anyone else in this arcade does! We know how ta worm our way through all tha tunnels in the castle! We spent enough time in there when Turbo played his little game with us!"

"B-but-!"

The girl wasn't having it; she KNEW her friends could do more, that they could be stronger but after all the time that had passed since Vanellope had returned they were still so unsure, still so drained, still so worried that they could do NOTHING.

"I-I don't wanna do this." Meeped Candlehead, backing away "I-I mean…if Vanellope is hurt out there, if she's trapped! I-I wanna help her but I'm scared!"

"I-I am too, C-Butt!" replied Taffyta "I'm scared too but we just can't-!"

"Taffyta, Candlehead's right!" said Gloyd "Look, tha last time somethin' big happened here, what did we do!? WE RAN!"

"But kids, that's understandable!" said Felix, trying to be the light in the room "N-None of ya knew what was headed for ya in a situation like that, it was best ta evacuate!"

_**"AND LOOK WHAT HAPPENED BECAUSE OF IT, MR. FELIX!"**_

All eyes went to Taffyta, the girl fuming.

"We ran, we ran like little kids are supposed to and they called us _**COWARDS**_ anyway They called us _**WEAK!**_ They called us _**STUPID**_ for it! I'm _**SICK**_ of those names, I'm _**SICK**_ of these people coming at us and this time?! _**THIS TIME I'M GONNA HELP VANELLOPE LIKE I SHOULD HAVE!**_"

"Muttonfudge, we got ya back here. That was good enough…" said Calhoun "But I can still tell you're tryin' too hard ta bring tha battle onto yourself."

"What do you mean?"

"You shouldn't think that we blamed ya kids for what Turbo did, that's what I mean." The marine replied "It's unfortunate that you partook in what he conditioned ya an' encouraged ya to do but ya had NOTHIN' ta do with him breakin' in, him messin' with your code, or more importantly…."

The woman narrowed her eyes, looking at the racers.

"_**YOU**_ didn't make Vanellope's code glitch. _**TURBO**_ did."

The woman would have thought that such words would have been enough to change a few minds in the game but she could tell that they were all thinking otherwise. Taffyta was still itching to fight, her legs shaking restlessly where she sat and the others looked so indecisive on what to do.

"Th-thank you, Sargent…."

That voice.

Crumbellina?

"Thank you so much for the kind words." The girl said, her smooth voice "You don't know how much we've all been waiting to hear something like that. To hear it from the mouth of someone that everyone here looks up to, that you know we had nothing to do with Turbo getting in, for what he did to Vanellope."

"Kid, I think that would be obvious!"

"You do not know how long we have heard it…." The girl continued, clutching her hands "It is the reason why I feel so down, why I feel so bitter in my own home. They have told us so many times that it was our lack of action that allowed Turbo to come in, that it was our lack of strength to fight off his reprogramming of our memories. They ask us why we didn't fight him off, why we didn't protect Vanellope…..why do we even exist?"

"W-Why do ya ex-?" Felix said in a thin voice.

"Because if we were not there for Vanellope, then what is our reason for being?"

A hush fell on the room as the rest of the racers feel into a deep gloom, Felix certain he could see their colors leaching off them.

"We can't do anything…." Mumbled Snowanna.

"We're not worth anything…." Moaned Jubileena.

"We're just placeholders…." Said Sticky.

"Vanellope is the only real racer…." Said Sakura.

"B-But you're all on the cabinet!" Felix tried to reassure the bunch "All of ya! You're all racers, you're all-!"

"It's just for display, noting else." said Rancis "Everyone else said so. Vanellope is the only one that has ever matted in Sugar Rush. She is the ruler, she has the power, we have nothing. We are nothing, we-!"

_**"ENOUGH!"**_

The sharp yell of Taffyta rocked and echoed through the halls, the girl standing up as she glared at the others.

"Not….another word!"

"What-?!"

_**"DON'T SAY THOSE THINGS ANYMORE! I DON'T WANNA HEAR IT!"**_

"But it's true, Taffyta." said Candlehead "We don't have stories. Vanellope is tha only one who does an-!"

Without another word, Taffyta slammed the book, that massive book, onto the table.

"Do you guys know what this is?"

"U-uh, no?"

"This. This thing? This is what I've been bustin' my butt to get. And why? Why so much trouble over a dusty old book?"

The group said nothing, awaiting for Taffyta's reply.

"Because it has _**OUR**_ stories in it." The girl finally said "This book is just one of many, one of _**HUNDREDS**_ that contain the history of our world, the history of our karts, the history of our _**FAMILIES**_ within it."

Felix and Calhoun looked on, the children's eyes growing bigger and bigger as they peered at the object before them.

"Turbo took this from us. He took this along with many other things but guess what? I found it. I found it because I was tired. I was tired of people telling ME who I was. We already had to deal with that from Turbo for FIFTEEN YEARS, the way he turned us into his little pets, the way he turned us against a friend. I got tired of that and I got tired of seeing all of us get pushed around and called bullies when I knew we're all more than that. We're not just bullies, we're not!"

"I….I can't believe this actually EXIST!" said Rancis, his curl twitching in excitement "T-Turbo had this the entire time?!"

"I guess he hid the stuff he thought he'd use later somewhere close." Shrugged Taffyta "Somewhere close to us yet we knew nothing about. Somewhere that Vanellope was meant to be but had barred her from."

"The castle!"

"Bingo."

"S-so what if ya have this book, Taff?" Gloyd said with much doubt "It's not like it's filled with anythin' that can get whoever is in tha seat outta here. What does it hold that-?"

"Gloyd….do ya wanna know WHY ya love tricks? Where ya got your love of pranks, of magic, of mayhem?"

"W-what does that have anything-?"

"Your parents were two of the greatest tricksters this land has ever seen and you guys, all three of you, would travel around in a massive house blimp."

Gloyd's eyes nearly popped out "W-what!? A house WHAT?!"

"Your 'home' was a carriage kart….but walk inside and it's as big as a MANSION! And with the press of a button a giant balloon would rise and carry you EVERYWHERE!" Taffyta said as she opened the book to Gloyd's page, the boy seeing the image of his home but most importantly his parents.

"M-Mom? Dad?"

He felt a jolt running up his spine, brightness flashing in his eyes.

He was starting to remember.

"Sakura!" Taffyta said as she turned towards the matcha-racer "You're not just a replacement! You have a story here too!"

"I do?"

"Your mom was a world-famous FASHION DESIGNER! Your dad? He was one of the most FAMOUS actors this time as ever seen! Minty, Sticky, Torvald! Your parents owned an inn near the outskirts of the kingdom, right where the forest would begin! People would come to see the forest and the nature of Sugar Rush and all three of you helped run it with your folks!"

The Mint-Triplets didn't know what to say but the way they held onto each other made it clear; their memories were coming back too.

"Rancis! Your dad WORKED in the castle! He was the king's freakin' right hand man, keeping up the letters or ledger or whatever you say all that fancy talk!"

"H-He was?!"

"And not only that, your mom traveled the globe! Exploring and discovering ancient candied history! People looked up to her!"

"O-Oh my gobs…." Rancis said as he felt dizzy but happily so "S-So that explains why I knew the castle so well even back then. I had been in it before."

"Candlehead! Your parents' sweets were so popular that the King and Queen would request them! Nearly all our most famous dishes here were things that YOU and YOUR PARENTS created together! Heck, they named their café in honor of your birth!"

Candlehead glowed, her flame sparking brighter and brighter.

"Beezie, Nougie! Your parents and aunt were RULERS of that village you live in! Your father was the _**GRAND DUKE**_ of that land! You're not just citizens! THAT PLACE IS YOUR LEGACY! That place continues the history of your entire family line and when you were to come of age? You would have RULED IT!"

The girls were shocked; even if they weren't PRINCESSES of an entire land they themselves had a grand title, a tiny bit of land in which they owned and looked over.

"Juju, Cissy! We wouldn't have HALF the candies or fruits in this land had your PARENTS not created and cultivated them! Jewel Fruit? Star Berries? Your parents came up with them! They came up with them with YOU in mind!"

"I-is that why…" began Jubileena.

"We enjoy the gardens so much?" finished Citrusella, both girls looking on, wanting to know more and more.

"Swizz, you wouldn't be half the kid you were if it weren't for you mom! She could invent things at the drop of a hat and your papa? The big man was the FACE of Malarkey Automotive!"

"M-My parents….OWNED their own cars?"

"OWNED?! They owned cars, made them, invented so much!"

Taffyta then turned to Crumbellina, her eyes wide.

"CRUMBELINA-!

Just looks.

Would it be good to go into FULL details about the DiCarmelo 'empire'?

"…..Your family was very neat and had a lot of money…and….and MONEY."

"You do not have to tell me. It's all coming back." The girl smiled but for all that were around her, they knew it wasn't a reassuring smile a few of them backing away in fear.

Oh Crumbelina, never change.

"And Snowy…" Taffyta said, taking the snowcone-racer by her shoulders "Out of everyone here, EVERYONE! You're the luckiest of them all!"

"How?"

"Because that song? The one that plays throughout the entire day? That's your mom's voice."

_"W-What?!"_

"Sugar Rush was the song she and your father wrote as the anthem for the races. The reason you love it, it's because it's your mom's voice. Your father is with her, playing his guitar in the back!"

Snowanna looked as if she were close to tears at the revelation; all this time, for all these years she had no idea that her parents were so close, that they were only in earshot. King Candy had told her the song was just NOISE, something that he eventually got used to but she knew there was a reason it made her so happy.

"That song was requested by our King and Queen to officiate the races." Taffyta continued "And do you guys want to know _**WHY**_ there is even a race to begin with? _**WHY**_ we get into our karts _**EVERYDAY**_? Why racing is engrained in each and_** EVERYONE**_ of us?"

The groups shook their heads, hungry for the last bit of memory they needed back, the one thing that would make it official that they belonged in the games as more than just faces.

"Because it's what brought us together." Taffyta said, feeling as if she were so many stories tall with how much energy was in her "People can say what they want about the races. That they were made only for Vanellope, that we were programmed only for her to win against, that we have nothing. NO, no that is not the story of Sugar Rush. Those races were created as a celebration of _**US**_ and all of our families to show that after the worst of times, we could still come together to have _**FUN**_. We all come from different lots of life but the races is what _**UNITED**_ us. Vanellope _**WAS**_ our princess but it was only through the races did _**WE**_ meet _**HER**_ and SHE learned about _**US**_. She was _**ALONE**_ in that castle, things had come between our families from long ago to tear us apart but the races did it. The races brought us together, made us who _**WE**_ are, and are _**OUR**_ stories. _**OUR**_ history."

Calhoun and Felix had remained silent the entire time, watching on in awe as the girl stood before her friends, never having seen such a fiery will come from such a little body. They both knew that Taffyta had become fed up by everything and saying these things was what she had wanted to express to EVERYONE in Litwak's. She wanted to tell Litwak's that she had a purpose, that she had a story, that she had a reason to race but more than that.

"Taffyta?"

"Yeah C-Butt?"

"W-What were your parents again?"

The girl smirked, crossing her arms "A short, chubby circus sharp-shooter and a huge ballerina. Wanna guess which one used to be the 'bad' one? It's the one who looks like meeeee…."

That even she loved her own backstory.

And in that moment, it felt like so many things clicked. Seeing their families, seeing their homes, seeing their karts and so many things that had been stolen from them began to show up clear in their minds. They could feel those remaining doubts, those remaining worries slowly melt away like chocolate, their bodies feeling lighter, their hearts filled with warmth.

They had families.

They had history.

They had reason.

"So do you see now guys?" asked Taffyta "Do you see why we have to fight back? Turbo took this place from us before. He took our homes, he took our lives but even when he was destroyed we still didn't have everything back. I'm not gonna let that happen again. I am not going to let some…stupid virus thing come in and take away my home just when I've found everything that had connected me to it!"

"I-I'm not either!"

Everyone looked at Swizz, the boy stepping forward with determination in his eyes.

"I'm not runnin' away this time! Not before I show that dirt-bag how we do things tha MALARKEY way!"

"Me neither!" laughed Minty as she shoved Swizz on the ground roughly, cracking her knuckles "Nelly's in trouble? HUH! Imma bust a few heads to get her back!"

"Count me in as well!" Rancis said as he raised his hand "As a family member of the royal court, I shall fight with honor and glory!"

"Aw, stuff it ya nutter-head!" laughed Gloyd as he pulled Rancis' hat over his head "It's a big enough surprise your head can still fit in here with how much ya go on!"

Taffyta smiled at her friends, nearly forgetting those looks after their lives had been filled with so many weeks of doubt and sadness. They were still a little scared inside but they were ready. They were ready to go out and fight for the home that was rightfully there and rescue the friend that they all felt connected to.

This was their time to shine.

"We have to find the best way to storm the castle!" said Swizz after he picked himself off the ground "With the right cover, I think we can-!"

"Swizz? I got this…." The girl said as she dug through her pocket, taking out the key that had belonged in the book "Ya guys up to see what else Turbo tried to take from us?"

* * *

The area around the castle was dark and murky, monster virus candy people lurking about and guarding their makeshift hive and keeper. Above, the virus looked down, smiling at the kingdom that it had made for itself as its prisoners, one racer and one sour-ball, huddled tightly together in the mirror.

They both said nothing, Vanellope cradling Sour Bill in his arms, the man unconscious and cracked in many places.

"I cannot just have one meal. Not with the way I plan on spreading my kingdom…." The virus oozed, licking its claw with its long tongue "I must finds those 'friends' of yours, child. They will make a fine addition to everything."

The virus was certain that soon enough, the other racers would be in its grasp and after that? It would spread to other games, take the forms of other characters to sneak in and leech off until all the games were dry.

The master would be proud of it.

Most proud indeed.

But it had no idea that not everyone was going to fall to its will, to cower before it. Outside, a small few were making other plans.

_*Shuffle shuffle*_

Bushels of brittle cotton candy tumbled about the land, whipped by the wind the blew in the draining game. The guards took no notice of the clumps, the only thing on their mind being the consumption of healthy code.

Consume.

Infect.

Consume!

INFECT!

Another bushel blew in, stopping next to the other. It was nothing out of the ordinary….until another blew in….and then another….

And another!

AND ANOTHER!

AND-

What the-?

The clumps formed closer, forming into larger and larger masses unti-!

"**CATCH, UGLY!"**

The first guard looked up but before its brain was able to register what was happening-!

**BOOM!**

**BANG!**

**SPLAT!**

A Mallow-Crème pumpkin bomb had gone off in its face!

"_**SHOOT NOW!"**_

The Hero's duty guards leaps from their cotton-candy cover and began blasting away but these were not normal bullets that penetrated the bodies of the viruses. The small vials stuck in the flesh of the monster candy people, pumping a glowing substance within them.

"_**AUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU**__uuuuuuuuuuuuuurrrrgh….."_

The action was quick, the liquid forced into the system and flooding the code, seeking and destroying ever bit of virus corruption until final….a normal candy citizen remained.

"Is she gonna be okay?" Candlehead asked in worry, the figure stirring on the ground.

_"Mmmm…w-where am I? What happened?"_

"Get 'em up and transport 'em out!" ordered Calhoun, a solider carrying the candy back towards the safe base "Mouse!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"You're goin' with me an' that others! We need ta lead these kids ta tha garage!"

Calhoun, joined with cadet and Ralph and Felix adding to the journey, escorted the kids towards the far end of the massive palace, all being as careful as they could as to not arouse any more viruses.

"_Over there…" _Taffyta whispered as she pointed towards another large building _"This is where the Royals would put their karts!"_

"_And you're sure Turbo would keep things here?"_ asked Rancis.

_"Hey, you remember when he would blow a gasket when ANY of us would come near this place."_ The girl smiled devilishly _"And no matter how many times you tried to pick the locks, Gloyd? You just couldn't get in"_

"_So how?-"_

_"Ralph?"_ Taffyta said, looking up at the big man _"It's your time to shine."_

The Wrecker smirked powerfully, wondering when it would be time for the action to begin _"Lil lady, it would be my pleasure."_

He might not have been able to say his catch phrase.

But the punch did the talking for him.

_***BOOM!***_

The door was blasted to smithereens, the group running in quickly as Taffyta went to the back area. What looked to be a large wall met the group but the girl knew there was more to it than that. The key felt hot in her hands, almost as if its powers were increasing the closer she got to it.

This was it.

This was the panicle of EVERYTHING she had been looking for.

"_Please work…."_ She hoped to herself _"PLEASE WORK."_

With everyone looking on, Taffyta clutched the key in her hands and put it inside the lock. As soon as it went inside, they glow it have off became even BRIGHTER. She could feel the energy pouring into her and she turned the metal object, feeling the tumbler clank loudly! There was a click, a clack and then the entire wall erupted into a golden glow, everyone in the room covering their eyes at the light!

"No way!"

"It worked?!"

Taffyta had done it.

She had unlocked the hidden portions of the game!

The wall split open to reveal a massive hidden storage bin, every single item within it belonging to the racers and their families. The kids cried out in joy, in jubilation, some of them near to tears upon laying their eyes on more of their family keepsakes and items that had always been there, that had always been meant for them to use but that Turbo had kept hidden.

"T-Turbo locked all this stuff away from these kids?" Calhoun asked, perplexed "W-Why would he do that?!"

"He may have had their memories…." Ralph gulped "But he knew. He knew that if they found too many things, too many things tying them closer to the story, proof that he did not belong….he would lose his grip. He wouldn't be to control them even if he managed to cover their memories."

Turbo was narcissistic….but he was smart enough to know not to leave a single crumb behind. The more the adults saw just how much Turbo had robbed from the children of Sugar Rush, the more they realized just how damage he had really done. It wasn't enough that he took Vanellope's place, that he made the kids think that he was their ruler and only guardian. He had to do these things while hiding and destroying EVERYTHING that rightfully belonged to them.

But in those things he had stolen, they were going to use them.

They were going to use their items to get their home BACK.

"Oh-HO, this would go AWESOME on my kart!" Gloyd snickered, already thinking of things to do with his new found weapons both in and out of battle.

"I…is this guitar mine?" said Snowanna "M-My mom and dad signed it! Th-they wanted me to use it!"

"We both have twin cannons!" Jubileena said happily as both she and Citrusella looked at their own collection "I think we can even connect them together for more power!"

"Taffyta look at this!" Candlehead said as she pulled an unfamiliar gummie chain-arm from the weapon cache, looking at the name stamped onto it and putting a finger on the logo "Luminous….Lumi Gumbettino? I…I remember this from somewhere but…."

The girl shook her head, holding the weapon close and smiling.

"This is gonna help! I know it is!"

Turbo would not have stood a chance against the kids like this.

"We have the tools, guys…." Taffyta said, taking a lollipop from her pocket and flipping it into her mouth "Now let's beat this jerk, SUGAR RUSH style."


	33. Chapter 33- Jump into Your Racing Kart

Chapter Thirty Three – Jump into your Racing Kart

The air was heavy with the stench of virus, that rotten, rancid smell that those who had been around the arcade the longest knew all too well. The castle was surrounded, the gates were being watched and inside the castle….

"Hehe, this should get me good tidings with the master…."

One virus was walking gleefully in the palace, a trail of corruption and decay following it everywhere it went.

Sugar Rush had officially fallen as far as it was concerned, the once bright and sweet kingdom reflecting the beauty only it, the virus, knew. The creature turned, looking over at a giant portrait that rested upon a wall. For some reason, the picture looked as if it had been done with someone's FINGERS, the figures oddly out of shape and discolored.

This wasn't ITS handy work.

"Hmmm, must be a left over from that Turbo person everyone keeps praising…." The virus shrugged, wrinkling their nose before trailing its fingers against the delicate canvas, the dead code warping the picture….and revealing the twisted painful faces of what was lying beneath.

A mother, a queen.

A father, a king.

Their daughter, a princess.

Their features melting into a twisted scream.

The mirror had been moved to the throne room, situated before the giant window in a cruel way of letting Vanellope watch what was happening to her kingdom once more. This time, the girl could not glitch her way to freedom as she had done when she had saved Ralph. She was left alone in the cold void, clutching onto the gravely injured Bill, is shell cracked horrible, little blots of his gooey center leaking out.

"_P-Princess…."_ He moaned, slipping between consciousness _"I-I'm sorry."_

Vanellope clutched the candy-ball closer.

_"I….I was never there was I?"_ he moaned _"When Turbo was here….and not now."_

"Bill, shush…." Vanellope said as bravely as she could, little strings of tears running down her eyes "Don't waste your breath, Sour-man. W-We're gonna need it."

"Oh, really?" hissed a voice. Vanellope gasped and turned, pushing her legs against gravity to float away but she was taken a hold of by the virus, its disgusting arms elongating and pulling her forward.

"Oh, poor poor Vanellope. It is such a pity this is the way you have to go." The virus cooed. Vanellope wrinkled her nose in disgust and slammed her tiny first as hard as she could against it, drifting back.

"This isn't over yet! There's no way it is."

"If there is one thing I have to admire about you, its your spunk…." The virus smiled, climbing further into the mirror void "I like people like that. The hive needs more people like that!"

"Listen, I don't give a bee's wax about this HIVE nonsense! I just know what you're gonna get your greasy, gritty booty kicked!"

"And by WHOM, child?" the virus purred, taking Vanellope's face into its clammy hands "Your 'friends'? They turned tail and ran away LONG ago."

The creature gave a cackle, twirling its fingers.

"Oh, and those racers are as good as dead as well."

Low blow on EVERYONE in Litwak's…..

Vanellope knew that there were slim chances of anyone getting into the game and saving her at this point but she couldn't give up. For whatever reason, a reason she could not explain, she felt something odd pulsing in her chest. It wasn't a glitch, it wasn't even that bad feeling she got when she over-used her glitch and got sick.

It was something else.

Like something deep within her trying to break out.

It was if….as if she could feel they were all there; the racers, the entire gang. It kept beating faster and faster in her heart, the girl feeling such a mixture of nervousness but excitement as well, almost as if she were stepping off a roller coaster.

The virus of course mistook these emotions as fear, chuckling to itself that the girl was shaking and panicking at its presence. Vanellope clutched her chest, her breath getting faster and faster but she felt as if she were growing strong and stronger.

"W-What-?!" she panted, out of breath.

"Are you scared?"

Vanellope scowled, drifting further away from the virus "KEEP AWAY FROM ME!"

"You're scared."

"I'm not scared of you!"

"It's going to be alright, Princess."

_**"GET OUT OF MY GAME! GET AWAY FROM MY FRIENDS!" **_

_You can join me._

_You can join US._

_I will spare you._

_The Master has a special place in the hive for people like YOU._

_You will see._

_You will…._

_S-U-G-A-R!_

The virus felt its ears tingle, as did Vanellope. They both turned their focus towards the window, a strange sound drumming from outside.

S-U-G-A-R!

The virus bared its teeth and hissed "What is that noise?"

S-U-G-A-R!

Vanellope felt her eyes widen, her heart pacing again!

"…_..G-Guys?"_

Outside, they had arrived. One lined up alongside another, karts of all sizes and colors and shapes rushing down the roads. Their lights were turned on, their drives energized and ready to fight.

And through it all, they chanted a familiar tune.

**S-U-G-A-R!**

**JUMP INTO YOUR RACING KART!**

**S-U-G-A-R!**

**JUMP INTO YOUR RACING KART!**

**S-U-G-A-R!**

**JUMP INTO YOUR RACING KART!**

Over and over and over the kids chanted and cheered, the virus looking down in disbelief.

"NO!" it hissed "NO! NO! It is impossible! They can't be alive! They-!"

"They ARE!" shouted Vanellope from her mirror-prison "An' you're about ta see what Sugar Rush racers are made of, _**UGLY!"**_

The karts stopped at the gate, Taffyta leading the bunch with Calhoun riding tail. She stood up but the girl didn't look the same as she had. She wore a new jumpsuit, a new helmet, her kart loaded with all sorts of add-ons and weapons.

"HEY!"

The entire area was silent as the strawberry racer called up towards the palace. Even the virus guards had stopped, apparently awaiting the command of their virus leader.

"I'm only gonna call ya one more time before we attack….." the girl growled, biting down on her lollipop "Answer us."

The virus appeared at the window, floating down gracefully, the vapors it emitted looking like some sort of royal train.

"So, the little brats return."

"Yeah, we sure did." Taffyta smirked "We came back to get back what is rightfully OURS."

"Hmmm, you're so sweet…" the creature spoke, treating Taffyta as the child that she was "But I am sorry. I already have plans for this great place and unfortunately, YOU are not in it."

"Well, things change sometimes." Taffyta sneered "So ya can either make room for US, or go down the hard way."

The virus looked, Sugar Rush and Hero's Duty officers standing before it. The scene was much too funny to take seriously, the creature laughing gracefully.

"If there is anything I have learned from thi arcade while I was here its that so many IDIOTS are hungry to be heroes."

There was another laugh, the virus twirling its fingers again as its virus-infected hoard approached it.

"Where do you think I was able to obtain so many new 'followers'? All I had to do was make them believe that by doing good by your precious Vanellope, they too were being true heroes."

Taffyta felt her face burning with anger; it was sad that her first thoughts were right, that there were so many people bullying her and the other racers as means of getting in favor of Vanellope, or in this case, what they THOUGHT was Vanellope.

The real Vanellope would ever waste her time on such people or even allow such behavior.

Because she knew….

If she allowed everyone to bully the racers for her benefit, what made her so different than Turbo?

"We're givin' ya ten seconds…." Growled Calhoum, her gun aimed "An' after that I'm poppin' your head like a grape."

"But SARGE. Do you really want to waste the lives of your fighters like that?"

The Marine twitched at those words, the virus seeing the shell crack.

"Diving in like that and losing so many! All over a TRICK! It makes me wonder if I hadn't taken the kid's form would you have rushed in like that all the same. This is what I love so much about you saps. Your bleeding hearts make for a great doorway for corruption.

Even Ralph felt a hard jab in his chest at that mention. Did the virus find out how he had been tricked by Turbo's lies.

"Heh, so what I it going to be, little bully?" the virus jeered "Are you actually going to fight or are you go to do the smart thing and run away crying like you always do?"

Taffyta's blood was pumping, anger rushing through but something else as well. She was angry, she was scared, but she remembered WHO she was fighting for.

She was fighting for her home.

She was fighting for her friends.

She was fighting for VANELLOPE

And….

"A Muttonfudge…NEVER cries."

She was fighting for her FAMILY.

"Fine." The virus said but as it looked at the others, the grace it had on its face suddenly turned, replaced by the true foulness within _**"BE APART OF MY COLLECTION!"**_

The signal had been dropped and the battle had begun!

The virus armies charged head past their master, braying and roaring in hunger and rage but the racers were prepared. Their skills sent them driving back and splitting up, the viruses now on the prowl but they would soon learn that Sugar Rush was not their game to invade.

"Alright, begin plan ALPHA!" Taffyta screamed into her headset, driving off as Calhoun held tight to the tail-end of the kart "Got your guns ready?"

The marine smiled evil "Oh, this is gonna be SWEET!"

Nicely put, Calhoun.

Taffyta charged ahead to the West gates, massive virus monsters ready for her but she wasn't running away in fear! Not this time!

She did a hard turn, the wheels of her kart SMOKING and SQUEALING loudly but the move wasn't the only thing she was using.

"As mama said, MONGOOSE SPEED!"

She slammed a button on the control deck, her newest weapon activating.

Taffyta Muttonfudge! Strawberry Snakelace!

From under the car came a spray of taffy-vines, the strong sticky candy lacing the massive virus-citizens up and knocking them down to the ground but it wasn't over yet! As if getting tied up was bad enough, the lot of the monsters were now being DRAGGED by Pink Lightening.

"Hang on Sarge!" Taffyta called out "This is how ya pirouette in a CAR!"

Taffyta slammed on the gas and doughnut so fast, so smoothly that the viruses were unable to even think at the dizzying speeds they were going. Calhoun was thanking her code that she had tethered herself down as she knew she would have been flown right out of the game had she not.

"Wait for it….."

Keep circling!

"WAAAAAAIT!"

NOW!

Taffyta hit the breaks, the taffy snapping from the sudden stop and FLINGING the viruses into the air!

"NOW SARGE!"

Calhoun SHOT her weapon off, the entire lot of viruses hit with the anti-viral blast, reverting to their normal selves mid-air before landing right in the middle of a comfy, soft marshmallow patch.

"MAN!" Calhoun hooted, giving Taffyta a high-five "Dat's how ya take down a virus!"

Taffyta's mission was just one of many going on. The other racers had their own parts to contend with as did the other Hero's Duty officers. With so many viruses, the entire game was going to need as much help as it could get!

"Aurgh! WEAKLINGS!" the virus called angrily "I gave you all that power! ALL THAT ENERGY! WHY CAN'T YOU TAKE THESE CLOWNS DOWN!?"

"Guess ya picked tha wrong crew."

The virus hiss monstrously as it turned towards Vanellope, the girl grinning at is evilly as she floated about in her prison. She might have been battered, cut, and bruised but that smile of hers showed the inner strength that the monster had long wanted to rid the entire game of.

"Keep this up…." The virus hissed "And forget about joining the hive! I'll rip your head off right here!"

"I would love ta see ya try." The girl laughed "But of course, right after I see Minty kick your butt. She's been DYIN' ta do that to someone for YEARS."

The virus knew that it was going to have to get busy, braying loudly as it leapt into the air and flew off towards the code room.

"So, these miscreant think they can just walk in and end this?"

The virus didn't even have to wait to punch in the code; it just PUNCHED THE DOOR IN!

"Let's see how they enjoy a few things curiosity of lil ol' ME!"

Outside the battle was still waging on, the racers driving and fighting like they had never done before!

"Snowy, watch out!" shouted Adorabeezle, her sister driving in line beside her "Boogey at three o'clock!"

"On it!" the snow-cone racer growled, catapulting several large scoops of frozen ice and fruit syrup at a virus-beast. The three girls had never driven so fast in their lives but this was all a matter of life and death! They could not slow down!

Nougetsia hit another monster with a blast of frozen berries, her aim as keen as ever.

"You'll see how a WINTERPOP battles!" she growled, her sister mimicking her moves "Beezie, pitch left!"

"Got it!" the usually shy racer said, not at all feeling shy as she raced rings around the invading viruses "I'm not scared! Not of you baddies!"

"Kid!"

The girl made a quick glance, one of the Hero's Duty officers following her.

"Take this!"

The officer dropped a ring of anti-virals in her hand, the girl instantly coming up with a plan.

"Snowy! Nougie!"

"Yeah?"

"Remember our triple-scoop move?"

The other two girls smiled; they remembered that move PLENTY.

"Yeah! Let's do it!"

The three ice-racers formed a triangle formation together, tying their karts together with a string of sour straws. Adorabeezle and Nougetsia rode side-by-side, the girls giving each other a nod as they spotted their targets.

"Winterpops?"

"Winterpops!"

"Tropical Treat Cannon ready!" said Snowanna.

"Creamsicle Cannon One, ready!" said Snowanna.

"Creamsicle Cannon Two, let's go!" said Nougetsia.

A large wall of virus beast were headed toward the girls but they were ready to go. Snowanna tossed her two friends an anti-viral orb, all three of them putting the items in their ice-cream inventory. The cannons then loaded, their usually colorful treats now glowing bright blue as the anti-virus programming fused with them.

"Triple threat?"

"Triple TREAT!"

"TRIPLE BEAT!"

*KA-BOOOOOOOM!*

Three massive scoops of ice-cream shoot in the air towards the virus marauders, nailing them with such force they were blown back not feet but YARDS away from the castle right into the side of what was once a statue of King Candy, the fixture turning over and crashing to the ground. The ice cream melted, revealing more healed characters, their code cleared and cleaned.

"YEAH!" cheered Adorabeezle "That'll sho-!"

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"SIS!" cried Nougetsia as she turned back, seeing a large virus leap upon her sister's kart and thrash towards her "Get your hands off of her!"

The older of the two tried to back up and bump Adorabeezle's kart to rid it of the monster but the beast was too strong and held on. In her efforts, Nougetsia had only wound up getting herself and Snowanna tangled into the mix, their karts spinning out of control and into a tree! The monster leapt off before it could be caught in the crash and the girls were left bruised and dizzy, their moans heard as their karts smoked.

"Ah, m-my glasses…." Snowanna gasped weakly, her vision so bad that she could barely make anything out other than odd shapes.

Footsteps approached the girls, all getting to their feet as the monster lurched closer and closer towards them, looking hungry and ready to cut them to ribbons. Even without her glasses, Snowanna could tell the beast was as ugly and as mean as she feared.

"I-I don't think that's any character from THIS arcade!" Adorabeezle cried, clutching onto her sister. The biggest of the three, Snowanna moved her arms out to shield the girls but the virus was still larger.

She needed to do something and fast, but what?!

She squinted, eyes darting about until she saw something.

Her guitar.

It was tangled in the belt of anti-virals but it was the only thing left whole after the crash. In a dash, Snowanna reached for the instrument.

"Hey, Butt-face!"

The virus wasn't too keen on many things other than destroying everything in its path but it KNEW when it was being insulted.

"Snowanna, what are you DOING?!" pleaded Nougetsia.

The snow-cone racer was tripping on her feet with her bad vision but she lured the monster away, playing hard on the strings of the guitar.

"Come to me!" she sang "COME TO ME!"

The monster roared, the Winterpop sisters screamed.

_**"SNOWANNA!"**_ Adorabeezle reached out, tears running down her face _**"DON'T LET IT GET YOU! DON'T LET IT GET YOU!"**_

In that moment, as she held onto the guitar that her parents had gotten for her, Snowanna felt her hands covered by warmth.

As if there were others with her.

Time seemed to stop in that moment, her vision becoming crystal-clear. The beast was uglier than she could have imagined but….but….

She was not afraid.

"_Sing, baby…."_ Said a female voice "_I wanna hear that song ya wrote for us."_

"_Play, lil Rainbau."_ Echoed a male's voice "_Play like I know you can."_

Sundae-Sonata!

Berry!

A lump formed in Snowanna's throat, the tiny beads of tears forming in her eyes as she glared at the monster.

Sugar Sweet, I see the love in your eyes!

The chords struck were perfect, they were powerful.

Blastin' through the sky, like a star in the skies!

The song was rolling off of Snowanna's tongue but it was more than that. The way she was playing, the loud notes and chords were pushing back against the virus!

C'mon baby! Gotta jump on my feet!

The virus cried out in pain from the sound-waves Snowanna was producing but she had to continue on! She had to continue until the monster fell! She kept playing, kept walking and marching forward as she fingers rapidly strummed the strings, the entire instrument glowing the rainbow colors of her family, the anti-virals dangling from the instrument as well. Snowanna was getting lost in the power, Adorabeezle and Nougetsia seeing the anger shine in her eyes.

'_**CAUSE MY NAME IS SNOWANNA RAINBAU!**_

_**THIS IS NO RACER YOU CAN BEAT!**_

On the final note, Snowanna SLAMMED the chord, the anti-viral liquid ERUPTING from their containment orbs and traveling fast on the sound-waves produced by the guitar! The virus bellowed out in pain and agony as it was trapped within the and then-!

And then-!

**VAPORIZED.**

"HOLY-!" gasped Nougetsia as she stepped out, in awe at what had happened.

"Did I get him?" Snowanna panted "I-I can't see anything!"

Boy, had Snowanna gotten him and she wasn't the only one.

"Juju, I'm not sure about this!"

"Trust me, Cissy! This is gonna work!"

The Berry-twins were making their way along the Northern part of the palace grounds, buzzing past various viruses and blasting those that they were able. Of course, Jubileena seemed to be the most excited of the bunch, shooting everything that crossed her path but Citrusella was much more nervous, much more cautious in what she took aim at.

"Are you CERTAIN that no one is going to get hurt from these blast?" the blueberry racer called to her sister.

"Calhoun said that only viruses would be erased! If it's a person, they'll just return to normal!"

That didn't put much hope into the wary racer, the girl still scared that she would hit the wrong person and hit them. Jubileena noticed that her sister was lagging behind, driving next to her and trying to get her to pick up the pace.

"C'mon, Cissy!"

"I-I'm trying!"

"TRY HARDER!"

"I-!"

_**CONSUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUME!**_

The girls cried out in horror as a massive virus beast leapt in front of them, pulling their karts together as it tried to reach for both.

"AH! OOH!" cried Citrusella, swerving about nervously "Juju, do something!"

"Use your new weapons!" Jubileena cried out "ANYTHING! JUST-!"

The two then went ran headlong into a tree, the monster getting knocked off but in his process of falling, he pulled Jubileena over with him. The girl shrieked in terror as she felt herself lose control over her kart and flip through the air.

"_**JUBILEENAAAAAAAAAAA!"**_

Her sister was flipping through the air, the giant virus waiting to grab her in its claws but Citrusella knew she had to do something! She couldn't leave her sister like that!

She would not be separated from her twin!

It was as if fifteen years of anxiety, worry, and doubt had come crashing out in that moment when Jubileena crashed but it was not taking over. It had crashed but it was replaced by something else.

All the memories were flooding back to the blueberry racer, all the times that Jubileena had defended her.

And now it was time for Citrusella to return the favor.

The girl turned back around and SLAMMED the accelerator on.

"I need a ramp, I need a-!"

She spied one over near the abandoned ruins of one of the greenhouses, aiming just in time to LAUNCH herself in the air-!

"GRAB ON, JUJU!"

And grab a hold of her sister just as the monster were about to chomp her!

The two landed hard but Citrusella's kart was still in once piece for the most part.

"Citrusella?!"

The blue racer was in as much shock as the one in red, her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly.

"Did….did I really do that?!"

The angered roar of the monster stopped the girls from reminiscing, reminding them that there was still a battle waging before them. The fear returned to the shier sister, Citrusella ducking down.

"Now what?"

Jubileena looked over, seeing some of the remains from her busted kart strewn about, an item in particular catching her eyes.

"The berry bomber!"

"What?!"

Without saying a word, the cherry girl rushed out and retrieved her weapon, shoving it near Citrusella's face!

"Where's your part?!"

"My part to WHAT?!"

"The cannon! THE CANNON?!"

"O-oh! I-!"

The monster gave another roar as he rushed towards the girls, slamming the kart with its massive hands. Citrusella had managed to take the cannon but it was much too late for her own kart as it too meet the same fate as her sister's. The girls stumbled about on the ground, trying to figure out how the cannon worked as the monster got closer and closer to them.

"Wait, is it supposed to go together THIS way?!"

"N-No, this way?!"

"Citrusella, move it over here!

"No, Jubileena, over here!"

The more the two fought, the more time they were losing against the monster as it continued to swing at them! They scrambled around like mice but they stood no chance against the big bad beastie! They ran all the way into the greenhouse but there was so much stuff, so much junk! They could not escape!

"Jubileena!" Citrusella cried, clutching her sister's hand "I'm sorry!"

As they did everything together, Jubileena echoed her sister's worry and began to cry too/

"I'M SORRY!

They went for one another to embrace but as soon as they did, something fell out from under their collars.

Berry necklaces?

The cherry and blueberry charms glowed and floated before connecting with each other, the connected pieces then going into their sockets in the cannon. It clicked and glowed, everything joining as one!

"H-huh?" sniffled Citrusella, her eyes widen at the glow of the berry cannon "J-J-Juju!"

Jubileena looked, appearing even more surprised than her sister. Then something within the girls told them to take ahold of the opposing handles of the cannon, as if someone from behind pushed them forward.

"Cissy?!"

"Juju?!"

They could feel the hot energy of the cannon surge through them as soon as they touched and ot and then-!

_*shhhhhhr__**-BOOOOOOOM!***_

A massive double-blast blew the beast out of the green house, out of the garden, OUT OF THE AREA!

The twins sat in amazement over what they had witnessed, over what they had done!

And they had done it TOGETHER.

"Juju?" asked Citrusella.

"Cissy?" asked Jubileena.

_**I CAN'T BELIEVE WE DID THAT!**_

* * *

"HANG ON MISTER HERO'S DUTY GUY!" Sakura cackled madly as she drove through the barrage of viruses.

The officer with her?

Markowski.

"GAH!" the big man cried as he held on for dear life "What tha heck do they fed ya kids ta make ya THIS crazy?!"

Sakura didn't hear a word the man had said, driving through viruses and shooting anything that got in her way. She had never felt so alive in her life while barreling with her kart.

"C'mon, Calhouny said ya were good with that gun of yours! Show these wanna-be baddies what ya can do!"

A challenge?

Oh, Markowski would be unable to resist!

"Kid, drive me closer…."

Sakura did as she was told, swerving and swirling as Markowski hit rotten cod and virus alike! It was only a question of how large the body count was if it were at all possible for Sakura to line one up!

"Man, no wonder Vanellope loves goin' to your game! This is AW-!"

_***WA-BOOOOM!***_

A massive explosion threw both Sakura and Markowski from the kart, the thing going into pieces before them.

"My kart!" Sakura cried out in shock "And I just had it refitted and EVERYTHING!"

"Okay, dat's it!" Markowski growled as he got up and aimed his weapon "NO ONE smashes a kid's kart on my watch an' gets away with it!"

The soldier began blasting at everything that came near him whether it was an infected person or a pure virus beast all out.

"Mark-KOW-SKY!" Sakur said as she reached out for the man "Watch out or-!"

"Hang tight, lil lady!" the marine laughed as he continued to shoot "These BUGS have nothin' against me!"

Wait…

**BUG?!**

Markowski, realizing what he had just said, turned and looked seeing that there were INDEED MANY viruses who had taken on the form of BUGS!

_His greatest fear…._

"KIYWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" the man cried like a little girl, throwing his hands in the air and running back _**"BUG BUG BUG BUG! WHY DOES IT ALWAYS HAFTA BE BUGS?!"**_

Sakura watched on in awe, surprised that a man that big and that weighed down could run so fast, her eyes focusing on the massive virus bugs before her.

"Man, Uncle Gashi would have LOVED to see you guys." The girl said.

"Kid, get outta there!" Markowski screamed once he had realized he had left her behind.

Sakura tried to run but the bugs were quicker, grabbing her sash and pulling her back.

"AH!"

"Ki-AAAAURGH!"

Before he could move, Markowski found himself pinned down by another wave of viruses, the lot much too big and strong for him to push off on his own.

"Oh no!" Sakura scrambled in the hold of the monsters "What can I do now?! I don't-!"

Wait.

Her new weapons! They just weren't on her kart!

The matcha racer looked up, remembering that one of her newest power-ups was located in her HAIR, a newly placed leaf ornament tucked in her locks. She couldn't remember what it could do but it was calling out to her!

"Urgh, here's hopin' something good will-!"

Her fingers brushed passed the ornament, the surface glowing brightly.

"H-huh?"

**PON!**

Suddenly, Sakura began to glow brightly as she floated in the air, a high hum and several blossom leaves surrounding her until-!

**PON!**

"**YOSH!" ** the girl said, suddenly decked out in what appeared to be new cherry-blossom armor, a large cannon shaped like her chocolate straws clutched in her hands.

Markowski was silent if not because he had never laid eyes upon such a RIDICULOUS looking suit of armor in his life!

If this was what SAKURA looked like, what would it have done to her KART?

"What is this game?" the marine asked himself "WHAT IS LIFE?"

Sakura felt so much energy going through her as she stood before the viruses.

"So ya like to ruin karts, eh?"

In went the anti-viral bombs.

"Well, PAY BACK TIME!"

_**POM POM POM!**_

Shot after shot, Sakura blasted the viruses with her new choco-cannon, the large explosions resulting in a great cloud of pink and blue dust going EVERYWHERE! By the time the attack was over, Markowski was reduced to sitting o the ground, dusted from head to toe with colorful pastel sugar-powder.

And what remained were the cured citizens of the arcade.

"YEAH!" Sakura cheered, getting into a power-pose as music went off "How did you fancy THAT cuppa tea?!"

Markowski slowly lay down on the ground, shaking "What is this game? WHAT IS LIFE?!"

More and more the viruses found themselves unable to counter the power of the Sugar Rush racers. It was as Taffyta had said; the virus might have invaded but the racers still knew the land better than any outsider could as seen when the kids continued to bombard their attackers with their new moves and abilities.

Wait, these powers weren't exactly 'new'.

They had always been there.

But they had been kept from them.

"This can't be happening! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!" the virus crowed from inside the code room, feeling everything shake as more explosions rang out on the outside "I need to make some more adjustments! Keep the palace under my control!"

The virus switched things here, switched things there, its own code able to bypass all security that had been set up before. The entire game shudder and groaned, the signs of tampering evident as everything began to shift and fold.

"WHOOOOA!" Vanellope cried as she clutched onto Bill in her horrid little prison "What's goin' on?!"

Outside, the castle began to GLITCH! It began to TWITCH!

"Look!" shouted Felix as he pointed towards the quickly changing structure "Th-tha castle! It's-!"

It was mutating.

The entire mesh of the palace began to bend and warp to the wishes of the virus inside, the cute exterior now replaced by what looked to be the designs of a mad-man. The castle stretched upwards and outwards, great crags of corrupted code jutting out, the windows warping and breaking!

"Aaaaaw sweet coconuts…." Ralph growled "Looks like this thing ain't goin' down easy."

"If it were EASY, it wouldn't be FUN." Smiled Calhoun.

The skies darkened as thunder boomed and lightening crackled. Atop the roof, the virus laughed all grace and poise GONE as it had truly become the monster that it had been inside!

"_**YOU LITTLE FLEAS!**_" snarled the virus "_**I'M NOT GOING TO FAIL! I'M GOING TO TAKE DOWN SUGAR RUSH WHERE OTHERS COULD NOT!"**_


	34. Chapter 34- Storm the Gates

Chapter Thirty Four – Storm the Gates

"We have to get inta that castle!" shouted Calhoun as she watched the entire structure of the building warp and glitch before her "Heh, as if I'm scared of HEIGHTS. Just keep throwin' it at me baby!"

"Tammy, watch out!" Felix cried as he leapt upon the marine just as a large stone fixture was about to land on her. He breathed out heavily, goosebumps forming on his skin "Aurgh, I knew I should have said YES ta those HD trainin' courses SOONER!"

"Okay, any plans on how we're gettin' in this time?" asked Ralph, growing both angered and worried as he saw more and more virus guards swarming in.

"Yeah, I got a plan…." Growled Taffyta, eyes narrowing "C-Butt! Rancis!"

"Yeah?"

"Yes?"

"We're bustin' in up front!" the strawberry racer growled "We're gonna do this old school style…."

The virus watched below as the viruses began to overtake the characters, lapping up every moment that it saw people running for their lives, its own hive of drones braying and screaming as they tore through the masses.

"Yes, YES! If only the Master were here to see this! That would should them! It would show all-!"

A loud clanging was heard in the back of the room, the virus turning to see Vanellope trying with all her might to BUMP the large object into momentum. She kept knocking herself about the surface, the force she applied able to move her a few inches but it just wasn't enough to allow for escape.

"Urgh, c'mon! C'MON!"

"And where do you think you are going, PRINCESS?!"

"Fi-first!" Vanellope winced in pain, her arm sore "It is PRESIDENT! An' second, I am not stickin' round this place another second!"

"Aw, did you want to join your little worthless friends?" the virus cooed, its hand reaching in grabbing Vanellope violently against her scalp "Oh, ho. I will put them in soon enough, just let me-!"

"_**NYWAAAAAAAAAAAURGH!"**_

_***CHOMP!***_

The virus let out a bloody-curdling scream as Sour Bill leapt from out of Vanellope's hoodie and bit onto its arm as hard as he could. The pain going through its body, the virus pulled out of the mirror but in doing so it took Bill with it, the candy man now free as he rolled about the floor.

"BILL!" cried Vanellope "LOWER THE GATES!"

"Wait, what are you-?!"

It was too late for the virus, the candy man rushing off as fast as his little legs could take him but he could only move so fat, go so far.

"I-I have to make it out-!"

"Don't think I can't find you!" hissed the virus "I can smell you data EVERYWHERE!"

Bill shook with fear, sensing the virus getting ever closer and closer! What could he do! He was too weak to fight the beast off but he was also-!

Also…

Small.

SMALL!

The candy-man noticed the grate connected to the heating duct and just seconds before the virus came crashing in, he pulled them away and ROLLED down the chutes, the virus entering the room with a roar and a screech.

"_**WHERE IS HE?!"**_

Bill cried out as he rolled down the duct, unable to stop himself as he gained speed.

"M-Maybe this was a mistaaaaaaaa-!"

A sharp corner lay ahead but he was going much too fast to make it. He hit the next grate hard, landing right in the middle of what seemed to be one of the many storage rooms of the palace, a pile of dirty rags cushioning his fall.

"Oh…I-I made it?" the candy man moaned dizzily "But where-?"

"_MPPHH! MHHHHPH!"_

Bill gasped, looking over to find both Duncan and Wynchell tied and gagged in the room.

"OH MY GOSH!" said Bill, a few seconds holding over "I….totally forgot you were missing."

The two donut cops scowled in anger, Bill hopping over and undoing their bonds.

"H-Hang on guys, I got you."

"Pleh!" coughed Wynchell as the gag was removed from his mouth, slumping back onto the ground "Ya know you're role in a game is POINTLESS when even the person taking over doesn't wanna lump ya in with tha rest of the viruses."

"W-we have to get out of here!" said Duncan as he stumbled over himself "With the way this castle has been shaking, it's only a matter of time before it comes crashing down!"

"Wait!" called out Bill as he looked around "W-Where are we?"

"I-I don't know." Said the shorter cop "I-it's so dark that I can barely-!"

*CLANK!*

"Ow!"

Wynchell looked up, noticing that he had run head-long into what looked to be some chain.

A massive chain.

A chain that seemed to connect to some sort of bridge.

The three sweet men brains connected, Bill remembering Vanellope's orders.

"Take the lever." Said Duncan.

"Take the clamp. "said Wynchell.

"Lower that bridge!" ordered Bill.

The virus was still searching for the missing candy man, slithering down the stairs in an attempt of picking his scent.

"I know he is here, I know-!"

A loud metallic crunch stopped the figure in its tracks, the virus jumping over towards a window and seeing as the large bridge to the castle began to drop.

"I-I don't remember cutting-!"

Bill.

The virus knew what he had done.

"UUURGH! Little piece of SCRAP!"

Outside, the fighters noticed that what remained of the bridge was starting to lower, Crumbelina the first to take notice.

"Guys, LOOK!"

"Okay, either this is an invite for disaster or there is someone on tha inside helpin' us out!" Felix said in worry but his wife knew that their own chance was there.

"Trick or not, this is a chance we gotta take!"

"Guys, let's go!" Taffyta whistled, Candlehead and Rancis joining alongside her as Crumbelina and the Zaki triplets followed. They were storming the castle but there were was still trouble headed their way. The large virus guards rushed after them, not wanting to further anger their master with failure and gave chase.

"T-Taffyta!" Candlehead meeped in worried "We got us some baddies on our tails!"

"Just keep goin'! Just keep movin'!"

A large virus raised its hands to swipe at Candlehead's kart but Ralph, still riding on the back, let a fist fly and decked it to the side.

"Don't touch tha kid's kart!" the big man snorted, punching another virus in the face.

"Mr. Felix-It!" Rancis said, tossing the nervous repairman some peanut-butter cups "Toss those things out!"

"W-Wait, what do ya want me ta do with THESE?"

"Just do it!" the peanut-butter racer called back and without any more delay, Felix did as he was told, throwing the candies as hard as he could towards the back of the kart. Much to his surprise, the disc didn't simply bounce on the ground and stay. Instead they seemed to pick up momentum as they rolled, their jagged sides going faster and faster until they reached such great speeds that they were rolling like blades!

Felix blanched a bit, realizing that he had thrown the equivalent of candied CIRCULAR BLADES at the virus drones. They cried as they were cut down, the Hero's Duty guards coming in and shooting the remains with the anti-viral bombs.

"_I…..I usually don't destroy things like that…"_ the little man gulped _"B-But I guess in an emergency…."_

Finally, the remaining karts entered the castle, their wheels still turning even within the palace. Taffyta lowered the microphone on her helmet, her eyes going to the viruses who were still hungry to get in.

"Swizz! Gloyd! NOW!"

There was a faint whistling noise as large bombs of sticky, gelatinous old pudding rained down from above, the large clots of dessert acting like a massive weight against the viruses and gluing them in place.

If Swizz and Gloyd were the ones who dropped those bombs…

Where were they?

Karts were not the only things that were being used in the battle that night for up above the Orangeboar blimp was high in the air, the two boys joined with Cadet Mouse as they continued their above-ground attacks.

"Okay, got tha mallow-cremes?" Gloyd sneered evil. Swizz nodded and rolled a massive barrel towards the boy.

"How did your folks get this to work?" the lollipop race said, still astonished that such a house could be packed within a tiny space "Its…its nearly twenty times as big on the INSIDE as it is on the OUTSIDE!"

"Heh, its Sugar Rush, Egghead." The pumpkin racer smirked, lighting the wick on the barrel "Ya of all people know more than to question anythin' that happens here."

"Ready ta dive boys?" Mouse called from the steering controls.

Gloyd fastened a belt of anti-virals onto the barrel bomb "Take us down, Cadet!"

Mouse hit a hard left and dived down, the blimp humming loudly right as both Swizz and Gloyd PUSHED the bomb over the side, the entire barrel erupting in a flash of light, the scent of sweet melted candy corn lingering throughout.

"Yes!" Minty laughed from within the castle "Blow those beasties away, Swizz!"

"We don't have any more time to waste, guys!" Taffyta barked as she took the kart UP THE STAIRS of the palace, Calhoun a little taken back that the girl would even think of driving around in a building in such a manner.

"W-W-W-WHOA! Never thought these stairs were wide enough to support karts!" the marine jittered as she was bounced about.

The group went up one flight, then two, then three before they came to a stop, seeing just how damaged and warped their palace had become.

"Man, it's like that butt-ugly thing made this place a bazillion stories high…." Growled Minty, her sisters ducking at the sight.

"No matter how big this place is, that THING has Vanellope somewhere and-!"

"TAFFYTA!"

The girl gasped, looking down the side of a hall.

A familiar form!

"Taffyta! I'm over here!"

The strawberry racer shook her head; she had to be seeing things! There was no way that it could have been-!

"Vanellope?!"

From the looks of things, it did appear that Vanellope had gotten free and was now standing at the end of one of the massive halls. She waved her hands over her head and squealed about.

"Oh! OH! I finally got out!"

If Taffyta could glitch, she would considering the same sensation of a glitch rippled through her entire body as she looked on.

No.

Don't go!

"Kid?!" Ralph gasped leaping off the kart "Oh, thank programmers you're okay! I-!"

"Wreck-it!" Calhoun screamed "DON'T GO NEAR THAT THING!"

"Wh-?!"

Ralph had only turned his head back a second before he realized the little figure before him hunching down, the once sweet smile bending and twisting into a maniacal sneer.

"_Aw, crap."_

It was another imitation, the Vanellope-clone leaping up and latching itself onto Ralph, trying everything it could to bite and infect!

"RALPH!" cried Felix.

"Aw, DANG IT!" Shouted Calhoun, jumping off of Taffyta's kart and wasting no time in SHOOTING Ralph in his face! The children, a well as Felix, screamed in horror as the big man fell to the ground with a massive thud, smoke billowing from where the blast had made contact.

"_**HOLY HERSEY KISSES!"**_ Felix cried, nearly dropping over from the shock "You-! _**YOU KILLED RALPH! YOU BLEW OFF HIS HEAD, TAMERA! HOW COULD-?!"**_

"He's fine…" the woman puffed, rolling her eyes as she walked over to Ralph and kicked him in the side without so much as a worry "Hey. Wake up, Stupid."

A hand reached for the air, Ralph slowly sitting up, his face not only charred from the hit but also smudge with the rather 'colorful' remains of the virus.

"That….that looks rather distasteful." Said Crumbelina.

"_We really, REALLY need ta have a talk about your LOVELY habit of shootin' people in the face." _

The entire palace shoot with the braying laughter of many little voices, the group jolting as they looked about, feeling as if there presence was now joined by many others. The wave of sound started at the bottom of the castle but then rose up, moving higher and higher in flashing waves of light.

"Oh, what is that?" Rancis gasped, shielding his eyes.

STUPID RACERS!

STUPID RACERS!

AH-HA-HA-HA-HAAAAAA!

BULLIES! WEAKLINGS!

The cackling and laughing only grew worse once the team realized they were now surrounded by a massive influx of IMITATION VANELLOPES, the army of goblins laughing and cackling at their prey. Minty scowled, her hair standing on end.

"Looks like this fight just too an ugly turn…."

The imitations leapt from their perches and rained down upon the group, all of them taking up defense to prevent themselves from getting bitten and infected but it seemed that no matter what they did more and more imitations showed up.

"Urgh, get away!" Ralph growled, throwing the girls off him.

"But I'm your FRIEEEEEND!" said one of the clones.

"NO, I'M your friend Butt-munch!"

"Vanellope doesn't go that far with NAMES!" Ralph spat, brushing the creatures off him.

_**DOOKIE BREATH!**_

"Stop it!"

_**MORON!**_

"Why are ya doin' this?! Vanellope never acts like this!"

"Hahahha! It's so cute! It's so CUTE!" cackled another Vanellope "Don't you like it when I call everyone names! Don't you like it when I call YOU names, LOSER! Everyone likes it! Everyone LOVES IT! THEY HAVE TO! I'M THE PRINCESS! I'M VANELLOPE VON SCHWEETZ!"

Ralph knew Vanellope's jokes and THESE were not those! All around him, Ralph found himself swamped with clones who were using the very image of his friend to weaken him all the while trying everything to raise his rage and catch him off guard. He knew they were fake, he knew they were viruses but when he turned, all he could see was Vanellope.

The friend he wanted to save.

The friend who had helped him.

The clones were using the tactics on EVERYONE around, surrounding the lot of characters and breaking them down from all the weaknesses that the main virus was able to gather.

"Hahah! Skinny lil wimp!" a clone cackled at Felix, picking him up and punching him several times in his arms and chest, hurting the man greatly "Look at you! Barely able to pick up that hammer of yours, BEAN-POLE!"

"A-Ah, stop!"

"You call yourself a hero! You can't even protect those worthless Nicelanders AND you leave Ralph out in the cold?!"

Felix was shaking, turning pale "I-I'M SORRY! I SAID I WAS SORRY!"

You're not a hero!

You're a zero!

You'll never be as good as Ralph!

NEVER! NEVER! NEVER!

"Brad is pointless!" shouted a clone to Calhoun "Just a pointless blip in your POINTLESS story!"

"Ohhh! Looks who's the fem-Shep!" said another "You're nothing but eye-candy! Just somethin' for the boys to look at!"

Hahah! She-man wannabe!

You're not even your own character!

Miss MAN!

MIIIIIISS MAAAAAAAAN!

"Gaaaaaah, where are these toads comin' from?!" Calhoun roared, shooting everywhere but missing every time. The racers of course got the worst of it, the massive influx of imitations Vanellope surrounding them, reminding them of EVERYTHING they had done, EVERYTHING they had said and most of all EVERYTHING that the arcade had repeated to them!

And it was everything they all heard.

Bully.

Bully!

BULLY!

Hey, Taffyta! I think that dye job is starting to show through!

Candlehead is so stupid, she's forget how to breathe if weren't reminded!

Hahah! Prissy lil Rancis! PRISSY PRINCESS PIMPLE!

The jeers continued, becoming near deafening as it felt like the entire castle was shaking, the heroes falling to their knees as they tried to block out the images, the sounds but there was no escape. The Vanellope kept singing their awful songs, tearing away at the very code of the characters to bring them down to their weakest.

"V-Vanellope, NO!" Ralph cried out, feeling his arms gabbed by the virus clones "N-NO!"

The racers were in no better condition, their ears covered and their eyes shut but it could not block out the teasing and the insults. Some of them were crying, some of them were too sick to move-!

"I….AM-!"

But one in particular…

"_So sick of__** THIIIIIIIIIIIS!"**_

Had finally grown tired of it all.

Minty felt a snap within her, the girl turning towards one of the clones and SLAMMING her fist into its face, a great wave of power and strength unlike anyone had ever seen displayed in a racer reducing the clone to nothing but a pile of dead pulp.

And then things went silent.

The clones stopped, everyone looked. Minty still on her feet, her hands in fist and her eyes cold. She wiped her nose with her arm, turning her head towards the others.

"You're just a bunch of slime."

BAM! Another hit!

"You're just a buncha WORDS!"

Another punch was thrown!

"You're NOTHING! You're JUNK!"

Again and again, Minty threw her punches!

"YOU! ARE NOT! VANELLOPE!"

The Mint had shown her strength.

And suddenly everyone realized it as well.

These things, these little creatures? They were not the Vanellope they were looking for, the Vanellope they were trying to save and return into power.

This was not their President.

This was not their racer.

This was not their friend!

Ralph felt his anger boiling over once he saw how his emotions had been played with once more. He glared at the clone next to him, the creature letting out a strange hiss but it cowered down as if it knew what was coming.

_***BOOM!***_

With his massive fist, Ralph pounded the clone.

_**CHOOOOOCOCOCOCOCOCOCOCO!**_

The big man looked down in disgust, the creature still flapping and blabbering even in its mushy state. Ralph punched it again, harder, finally making its cries stop.

"_Ya lil cavities…."_

The imitations cried out in terror as they saw their hold no longer worked on their so-called prey and there was no escape. Ralph grabbed as many clones as he could in his hand, pressing his massive palms together and SMASHING them!

"C'MERE! I'm gonna teach ya guys why it's never a good idea ta go about impersonatin' MY friends!"

"No, NO!" cried one of the clones, looking up at Ralph with horrified eyes "I'm your friend! I'm your friend!"

"You are NOTHIN'!" the Wrecker roared, bringing his fist down upon it "Ya lied ta me! Ya lied ta EVERYONE! _**YOU ARE NOTHIN' LIKE VANELLOPE!"**_

Of course, the only trained marine of the bunch was blasting away, the clones even easier to take out than baby Cybugs.

"I can't believe I like these things get ta me. I can't believe I let these things get my SOLDIERS!"

More cries were heard as the clones were torn and beaten apart. Even Felix found himself getting into the fight though he knew he could not use his hammer, so he used the next best thing he had.

"Take this, an' THAT! AN' THIS!"

A large broken piece of candy-cane.

The very thought of these creatures overtaking the arcade was enough to make Felix reach in for his inner-Wrecker and knock a few clones off their feet but there were still to many of them. He cried out as he was surrounded, the creatures swarming over him like ants.

"Felix!" cried Tamera, shooting her way through a wall of clones.

"A-Arugh! Gah, they're sticky, they're nasty an' they SMELL bad!" Felix gagged, one of the clones revealing its yellowed sharp teeth towards him.

"Mr. Fix-It!"

The man looked up, seeing a figure in white rushing towards him but the object it clutched looked unfamiliar. He could feel the soft, cool blow of air in his face and when he looked up….

The clone…

It was motionless….

_*shhrrrrrllllloooooorp!*_

Until its body fell apart in two.

"What in tha name of Litwak's nana-!?"

Crumbelina Di Carmelo.

She stood over the man, her hat off and hair blowing in the air but what she held in her hand was what surprised Felix the most.

A rapier?

And on it, the Di Carmelo crest.

"_I am a lady…" _the girl began "But that does not mean that I am WEAK."

Without another word spoken, Crumbelina began to SLASH through the clones with her mother's prized weapon, the memories of her mother moving about with it flashing in her mind as she continued to fight.

The memories were serving their purpose.

It was keeping the racers going.

The caramel girl was not the only one who was continuing, the Zaki triplets finding themselves cornered by the massive wave of clones as tey rushed down the fall to escape.

"W-What do we do?" panted Sticky "They're too many of them and they're catching up!"

Minty put her brain into overdrive, trying to think of the best plan she could in order to protect her younger sisters but how? They were like hamsters in a maze, or better put ghost in a maze, trying to evade the maw of the monster ready to bite them but once more, something flashed in the lead sister's mind.

As she ran, she could see it, she could remember it; all those stories and memories of the inn. The halls of the castle kept flashing, being replaced by the woody floors of the establishment, the sliding doors all around her and the sound of her slippers hitting the floor.

"_MINTY!"_ called a woman's voice _"GET BACK HERE!"_

Minty could hear herself laughing, her thoughts going back to the image of a woman running after her.

"_You're just as stubborn as your father! Get back here!"_

"_You'll have to catch me first, mom!_

She remembered, running those long halls and the many TURNS they took but they eventually lead back to one.

One place.

An idea had been formed.

"Stix!"

"Y-Yeah?"

"Go right!"

The marshmallow racer looked horrified at the thought of being separated from the eldest triplet "But Minty-!"

"Tori, make a left turn!"

"What? Why?"

"Just do it!" Minty said, force her strength out to run even faster than before. With the girls splitting up, the clones took note and did the same, a large group going after each. The big swarms continued to laugh and mock the candy racers, their claws reaching out and ready to slash.

You can't run from us!

You can't escape!

You're just useless!

POINTLESS!

BULLIES!

BULLIES!

Sticky's chest was aching from all the hard running she was doing, her legs burning but she had to keep going. Torvald was worried that she was fall on her knees but her mind pushed forward.

And Minty?

"Stupid clones!" she laughed as she turned back, pulling her eyelids down and sticking out her tongue "Can't even get Vanellope's hoodie color right! Its AQUA, not BLUE, butt-monsters!"

Consume! Consume! CONSUME!

Minty saw the corner coming up, a smile on her face.

"Consume THIS!"

At that moment, all three girls ducked and slid on the floor, their hands going for one another as they missed the massive crash of clones piling into each other. They could hear the screams of pain as they tumbled away, the massive collision of code rocking the halls and doing so much damage from the blast that not a single imitation Vanellope was left.

Just trash.

Piles and piles of trash.

The girls got back to their feet, shaking a little, but small laughs began to come from their mouths.

"Z-Zakies?" Sticky said, holding out a fist towards Minty. The elder sister pulled the two younger ones closer to her, never feeling such pride in them before.

"ZAKIES!"

Fist-bumps for the three.

The imitations' numbers were growing smaller, the path opened for the group to escape.

"Mr. Wreck-it-Ralph!" Candlehead cried out "I-I think we're runnin' outta time! We gotta get ta tha tower!"

The big man looked up, seeing the odd glow of what could only be code hovering stories above him. Typical video game scenario he smirked to himself; all bad guys put their prize at the top of the tower.

"We can take care of the rest of these piles of filth." Crumbelina said as she gave another swipe with her weapon "You three take off."

"Ya sure, Belina?" asked Taffyta.

Minty threw another massive punch in the face of a clone "Go! GO! You're on a time-limit, babe!"

"Kids, lead tha way!" shouted Calhoun and off the three racers went, riding up and up the twisting staircase as their three partners tore up things along the way.

"We have some more imitation goons up ahead!" warned Taffyta, Calhoun shooting away happily.

"Wanna join me kid? Get that blaster of yours out!"

Taffyta couldn't have been happier, unloading strawberry after strawberry along with Calhoun's bullets to waste every creature in sight. And of course, they were not the only ones having fun.

"WHO-HOOOOO!" cheered Candlehead "Go Wreck-it! Go Wreck-it, GO!"

Ralph and Candlehead were trashing through everything they saw, the ditzy racer's massive and fast cart giving Ralph the perfect balance to keep his hands and feet perched for some wreckin'!

"C'mon, ya lil trolls! BRING IT!"

"H-H-Hey kid!" Felix yammered as he clutched onto the back of Rancis' kart "I-I-I don't think I can handle any more w-w-weapons!"

"Do not worry, my dear repairman!" Rancis said with a smile "Not everything HAS to be destroyed in order to get wrecked."

Felix was a little confused but he knew it only meant that he was going to be flung somewhere.

"Wha-_**YAAAAUGH!"**_

Rancis spun around, driving his kart BACKWARD much to Felix's surprise.

"Kid!"

"Fix-it-Felix!" cried Rancis.

"What?"

"All this debris! _**FIX IT TO YOUR HEART'S CONTENT!"**_

It suddenly dawned on Felix what exactly Rancis was making him do. As the castle continued to crumble around them, great chunks were falling from above.

Chunks that Felix could make STRONG to cause more damage to anything they hit!

The little man scowled, grabbing his hammer and slamming it on a large piece of wall. In an instant, the wall grew thicker and sturdy right before crushing a few imitations in their place!

"Yes, yes!" cheered Rancis, looking back for a moment as he continued to steer in reverse "They wanted a hero? Show it to 'em!"

Now Felix began to feel the same amount of excitement his wife did whenever she went about blasting her guns. The man was more or less DANCING atop Rancis' kart as he kept swinging his hammer and launching massive projectiles at everyone!

"Yeah, who's tha skinny wimp NOW, ya lil punks!?"

Up and up the three racers drove, the heroes riding on the back. They were getting closer and closer, the entire area feeling like it was warping under their feet.

"Hang on guys." Taffyta said "The road is going to get a little jiggly!"

Indeed it did. The stairs suddenly crumbled away from under the karts, leaving only the sprawling carpet left for the group to ride upon but it was as if they were balancing on THREAD, one false move possibly sending everyone over.

"Taffyta, we're nearly there!" Rancis called up to the leader "What's the plan?"

"We-!"

_**GWOOOOOOOAAAURGH!**_

Just what everyone needed; more viruses.

There was no chance of turning back now as the lane was only a kart wide! If they were going to get past ANYTHING, they would have to take things on dead on!

"Want me ta get 'em, Muttonfudge?" growled Calhoun.

"Save that ammo for the main boss." Taffyta said as she held out a hand "C-Butt!"

"Yeah?" the candle-headed racer smiled brightly.

"FUN-SIZE!"

The very mention of a POWER-UP made Candlehead beam and spark, her eyes wide and her candle throwing flames everywhere.

"GAAAAH!" Ralph cried out "I was already shot in tha face! Don't burn me!"

"Hang on Mr. Wreck-it-Ralph!" Candlehead sang "We're about ta get MINI!"

"Wait, WHAT?!"

Before Ralph could even question what was going on, Candlehead reached into her cache of power-ups and popped in one of the orbs into the control panel of her kart.

FUN-SIZED!

A strange blue glow surrounded the entire kart, Candlehead and Ralph included! The big man's fears were only confirmed when the glow was quickly joined by an odd tingling feeling and a rush of power.

"Hey, hey, HEY! WHAT'S GOIN' YAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-!"

*DING!*

"Where did they go?!" gasped Felix, looking around and seeing now sight of Ralph or his cake-themed driver.

The two were still around….just out of view.

VERY out of view.

"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"Ralph screamed at the top of his lungs, his voice coming out in a high-pitched squeal "I'm gonna ask again! _**WHAT'S GOIN' ON?!"**_

"Hang on, Wrecker!" Candlehead laughed, her voice even higher than his "We're gonna ram that door!"

"How can we ram a door when we're only _**TWO INCHES TALL?!"**_

"Like THIS!" Candlehead smiled as she pushed the peddle to the cake and took off. Even if they were the size of mice, Candlehead's kart could now reach speeds that were so fast that she was easily able to drive right under Taffyta's kart and take the lead over her. Ralph made the unfortunate mistake of looking back, Pink Lightening coming down upon him like a mammoth tank of candy, the man screaming again.

"Faster, fast, FASTER!" Ralph shouted, holding onto the Candlehead's kart for dear life "We won't be much help ta Vanellope if we wind up flattened!"

"Oh, I think I would be! I can come back remember?"

"_**CANDLEHEAD!"**_

The girl didn't even catch Ralph's terrified reply, driving faster than before.

"Okay, get ready!"

"Ready?! For WHAT?!"

"Hold out your fists, Mr. Wreck-it-Ralph!" Candlehead smiled.

"Um, I'm not really held on by anythin' back here k-!"

"HOLD 'EM UP!"

Ralph knew there was no chance he could go against the little racer, his head telling him that either way a crash was going to happen somewhere. He whimpered, his voice still ridiculously high, and raised his fist out both looking like giant hammers.

"Three, two, ONE!"

Once more, Ralph felt a strange feeling rippling through his body and in a split second-

"wwwwwhHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOAAAA!"

Both he and Candlehead had sprung back up to their normal sizes, Ralph now once again a massive, nine foot tall battering ram!

_***KA-BOOOOOOOOOM!***_

That Candlehead had just used to break down the door.

The door simply exploded into splinters as the three racers finally slammed on their breaks in the massive room, the high squeal of rubber sliding on glass-like floors heard all out.

"Ya-HOOOOOOOOO!" the girl cheered "Wasn't that FUN, Mr. Wreck-it-Ralph?"

Ralph bit his lip, his fist still held out before him and quivering. He looked down, Candlehead still smiling at him brightly but he had nothing to say. He simple got up….and shuffled away from the girl.

"Hehe, yeah. I had fun too!"

"We made it?" panted Felix, his instincts telling him that there was still much amiss in the room "B-But where is everythin'? Where is Vanellope?!"

"She's gotta be in here." Taffyta said as she jumped out of her kart, standing prepared for anything that would jump out "Where else could that creep take-?"

Suddenly, the only doorway into the room hut loudly, a wall of black now standing in its place.

"What the-?!" Calhoun gasped, pounding her fist on the wall but nothing was breaking way "Shoot! It's a trap!"

"So smart, the lot of you are….." purred a voice from within the darkness.

The entire room hummed loudly as the light of the code surrounded all, the pulse and power of the code-boxes giving off an unearthly buzz on their skins. Taffyta nearly fell to her feet as she looked around at the boxes of her friends, of everyone in the game.

"_S-So this is?"_

The floor suddenly began to squeal, the skin crawling sound growing louder as the surface started to break off into hexagonal pieces and split, legs and feet spreading apart and trying to balance for dear life within the void.

"Oh, OH! Hang on!" shouted Calhoun, readying herself for the fall but instead of dropping off into the endless void she found that she was instead floating, as was everyone else.

Everything, except the karts.

Rancis and Candlehead screamed as they felt the karts come out from under them, their vehicles pulled deep into the endless pits of the code void but they remained in place, floating about, almost peacefully.

"You wanted Vanellope…."

But peace was not in the picture.

"We're tired of your games." Growled Ralph, turning red in the face with anger "Show yourself coward! I wanna see just how big a virus ya actually are!"

There was silence, the only sound being of the hum and beeps from the code. Everyone huddled together in the mass, racers clutching onto racers, adults looking around for any signs.

And then-!

A flash!

"Watch it!"

Another!

"Vanellope!?"

_She's right here._

_Right here._

_Here._

Rancis and Candlehead held onto Taffyta, the two of them scared to their pixels but they did not know that the strawberry racer was just as terrified as her friends. They had been together through many highs and lows….but this? This was beyond any nightmare they could imagine, even ones with Turbo.

"I said I was going to take this place down where that Turbo fellow of yours could not make it…."

Ralph clenched his fist tighter, trying to hone in on the voice but he couldn't concentrate. There was just too much power and code going around him, it threw his mind off course.

"And I intend to do that. I intend to give you arrogant waste of space a taste of higher code!"

Ralph felt his heart stop for a moment, turning around just in time to have his face meet with the back end of the virus' palm!

"RALPH!" Felix screamed but he too was hit, the repairman sent flying in the void and crashing hard against a wall of random items, the shock blowing him back.

"Okay, that's it!" barked Calhoun, getting her gun ready "I'm-!"

Calhoun looked down, a tendril wrapping itself around her weapon and yanking it away out of her hands and SMASHING it against her face! The racers gasped as they watched the adults attacked before them their fears rising just as they could feel cold, slithering hands grab them against their ankles and yank them back! Now all six were in the clutches of this unseen adversary, things looking darker and darker all out.

"Now….I see that I have some heroes in my clutches…." Laughed the virus, then taking a peek at the racers "And I guess I could consider you guys bonus-prizes?"

Ralph struggled to reach but the virus had his arms and legs sprawled out and twisted in such a way that there was no way he could gain the momentum or strength to fight back.

"Show your face, freak!" the Wrecker demanded, sweat rolling down his arms "I wanna know tha face of all this before I BREAK it!"

"Oh, ho, ho, how sweet…."

Suddenly in the depths of the darkness, a figure appeared, Vanellope clutched in its arms, tendrils wrapped around her mouth and body.

"Good evening everyone. I apologize for not introducing myself earlier." The figure smiled sweetly "My name…is Beta."


	35. Chapter 35- My Game

Chapter Thirty Five – My Game

The code room was locked, sealed tight to prevent anyone from the outside to get in. The Sugar Rush palace continued to moan and creak as its form bent to the will of the virus, its control spreading and spreading throughout the land. Even if the drones had been beaten, it was if the fight had still fallen into the favor of the one called Beta.

Beta.

Had they really won?

"Oh gobs!" cried Gloyd as he looked at the palace from his family's sky kart "I don't think I cudda thought of somethin' freakier' if I tried!"

"Cadet Mouse!" cried Swizz.

"Yeah, kid?"

"This is nuts! This is REALLY nuts!"

The marine looked up from the steering control of the karts "Boy, look at what is around us. Somethin' tells me what you're gonna is is gonna be SANE in comparison."

"We need ta ram that tower!"

"I take everything I said back…."

"Ram tha tower?! Swizz, ya ARE nuttier than your fans!"

"Listen, somethin' tells me that unless we break into that tower we're not gonna last that much longer!" said the lollipop racer "All the energy from the game is centered around that place so-!"

"AUUURGH! Drive, Miss Mouse!" Gloyd cried, putting his hands to his ears "DRIVE TA GET ME OUTTA THIS NERD NIGHTMARE!"

"Hey!"

Mouse looked at her com-link, seeing that all communications to Calhoun had been cut. For all she knew, Calhoun could be right in the area and in the moment of impact, then….

It was a _**HUGE**_ risk.

"_Aw for tha love of-!"_

But it had to be done!

"Kids, get in here!" shouted the Marine "Buckle up, hang onta somethin' because here we GOOOOOOO!"

Mouse banked the kart to the left, the entire thing making a low droning sound as it finally slammed into the top window of the tower, the impact great enough to cause the leaning structure to bend back even more.

"_**GYAAAAAAAAAAAUGH!"**_

The kart crashed through the window, landing haphazardly upon the only remaining landing before the sealed door of the cod void, the massive pumpkin balloon bursting and sending bricks and other things crashing down on the people below.

"Watch out!" cried Sakura, leaping out of the way as she and the others watched the balloon deflate, the outer skin wrapping around the entire tower.

But what about the three inside?

"_Oooooh…."_

Swizz moaned from the crash, alive but sore, looking down as he gasped at just how high he and the others were.

"Mouse!"

The marine sprang forward and jumped towards the door, slamming her code-breaker onto the lock of the vault.

"_C'mon, c'mon!"_ she growled _"There's gotta be a way in this place!"_

Inside the code, the battle could still be heard and felt. Four racers were trapped inside, three adults with them, all strung up like prey before their captor.

"Cybugs get a bad rep…." Calhoun hissed "At least we need 'em ta run our game. YOU on the other hand…."

Beta turned, a smile on its face "Yeeeees?"

"You are _**SCUM.**_" Calhoun growled "You are _**FILTH.**_ Your only purpose is ta kill, ta destroy! You're even _**WORSE**_ than Turbo!"

Beta glided towards the woman, wrapping its fingers around her chin.

"Considering all the information I have gotten out of those PRECIOUS children's heads after all this time, I am going to take that as a compliment."

And with that, Beta SLAPPED Calhoun across the face, Felix less than pleased at the action.

"Don't touch her, DON'T TOUCH HER!" the little repairman struggled, the bounds around him were much too tight.

"Oh, don't waste your energy….." the virus said, looking around at the massive wall of code and its prey "Though I will have to admit. For an arcade filled with such lower-tier characters, you put up such a fight."

"What are ya babblin' about?" Ralph frowned "W-What was your game plan with this?!"

"Game plan?" the virus said, now going over to the tied-up racers "Well, to be honest….."

A hand curled around Vanellope's chin.

"There was so much noise going down the line about THIS one that it was bound to reach our hive soon enough. Everyone was going on and on about the great 'heroes' and how they took down a virus. Did you really think that such a claim would go on without someone else throwing their hat to the challenge?"

A titter escaped the creature's mouth, claws brushing softly against their lips.

"Perhaps this is the fault of so much bragging. You guys could have been left in peace had you not declared saviors to all code."

"W-We did no such thing!" barked Ralph, Beta whooshing over to him in a heartbeat, eyes looking into his.

"OH?"

Beta reached for Vanellope, turning her rough enough to cause her to cry out as her neck was forced to turn so uncomfortably.

"The master was intrigued, they wanted to know more about these so-called heroes and what made their arcade so special among others. But…."

Vanellope scowled, glitching. Again, there was no escape from Beta's hold.

"A-An'? WHAT?!"

"All I got was an over-hyped 'glitch' and three over-glorified mains. Even that 'virus' everyone has a hard time deciding to love or hate? That 'Candybug' fellow? HA! What little remains I could find of him showed he was nothing more than a mix of jumbled skin and stupidity. He wouldn't have lasted a second against a REAL virus."

Beta's eyes narrowed, a dark vapor emitting from its body.

"A virus…_liiiiiiike __**MEEEEEEEEE."**_

Ralph was heaving in anger, smoke billowing from his nose "Ya speak big now but when I get out! When we ALL get outta here we're gonna show ya what Litwak's is made of!"

"Heh, such brave words from a man like you, Ralph…." Beta cooed "But if there is anything I have gotten out of this, it's just how WONDERFULLY easy it was to take this game down. In fact, I should be ASHAMED of how little work I had to do in order to get this far. In a REAL challenge, the fight would have begun the moment you brought me in!"

Eyes went to Calhoun, Beta smiling.

"You know, after some of my fellow viruses took some of your guards? How are their replacements doing by the way?"

"_**GO TO HELL!"**_

Beta floated up to the mass of code around them, their hands stroking the smooth, cold shells.

"One weapon of choice a virus can use to take down anything is trust. And this arcade is full of it. At least the kind I required anyway."

Vanellope felt an odd sensation going through her body, her limbs stretching outwards as she floated back to Beta, the virus in full control now.

"This one? This one here? Everyone is so busy trying to keep this one content, this one feeling as if she is so special and grand. And for what reason? Hmmph, it is a mystery even to me but the information I got by playing her, the army I was able to get because of your face. People would do ANYTHING for you child, including hurting others."

Vanellope felt her throat tightening, recalling all the events she was forced to watch as Beta assumed her form in Litwak's. It was as if Beta's eyes projected into the mirror prison and what Vanellope had watched the entire time was a reflection of herself but one that was dark and twisted. It was a reflection that COULD have been, a reflection that could have happened if Vanellope was more concerned with hate, revenge, and a lust for empty justice against the racers, against anyone she thought had hurt Ralph.

_It's okay Vanellope! We'll do it!_

_Who else do you want us to prank?_

_Hehe, watch her cry! Isn't this fun!_

_Man, we love doing this for you Vanellope!_

_Look at those cry-babies run!_

Beta had assumed Vanellope form and had turned the girl into the very thing that had made her life so miserable; a bully. A bully with POWER, with CONTROL, and with an entire game under her command?

Just a game?

By the way people were acting, you'd think Vanellope was president of the entire arcade.

She had watched what others would do for her but it made her sick because it reflected nothing of what the girl really felt within. Vanellope DIDN'T want to hurt the other racers, she DIDN'T want to make them miserable and more importantly she didn't want them to feel as if they were not welcomed in their own home, that they meant nothing, that there was no point to them nor after she found her, that there was no point to their families either.

What Beta had said about Taffyta's parents.

Vanellope was forced to listen.

She was forced to watch.

And yet only Ralph was the one who said something to get the laughing to stop.

It didn't matter if she had gone through it herself apparently, it didn't matter if they knew it was wrong. Just so long as the hero of the day said it was okay, they would do it. They only followed Vanellope because she was famous. They didn't question her motives, they didn't question her reasons. When 'Vanellope' said attack, they attacked and they did so without mercy.

Beta had made Vanellope into a bully.

And there was nothing Vanellope could do to stop it.

"I think it was rather ingenious, do you not think PRINCESS?" Beta purred "A bit of role reversal I should call it. Putting you in the role of that beloved 'king' of yours, allowing you to feel what it was like to have that kind of power. Did you like it?"

"Get offa me!"

"I thought you WOULD!" the virus tittered "Or are you trying to say that you DIDN'T mean to say those things? After all, you could have fought me off right Vanellope?"

The girl looked up, eyes shaking "W-What?"

"Why didn't you fight me off? Why didn't you say no? I mean, you COULD have right? It's not like I was in CONTROL or took your memory codes RIGHT?"

Vanellope looked up to her friends, the three of them peering down at her with scared faces. Those words, the way they had came out. Those were the exact same words that so many of the arcade had blasted onto the racers after it was revealed what had happened. Many people had asked them why they didn't fight of King Candy, claiming he had done nothing to them.

But Beta wouldn't have been that twisted would they?

They wouldn't have pulled that?

Vanellope couldn't fight back….just like the racers couldn't.

It was like King Candy, the racers being led a figure of power, one that had made them feel happy and proud to be in their shadow but in reality it was a rouse. And as she sat in her mirror prison, she could not fight off Beta. She could not fight off how she was being used as a means of making others miserable.

Now Vanellope understood why that question hurt.

How can you fight off someone when they have your mind in their hands, when your entire life code is in their hand.

Now Vanellope understood why the racers were becoming so withdrawn, why they didn't want to be in the arcade, why they didn't want to be around her. They had already had fifteen years of their lives ruled over by King Candy, they didn't want another fifteen years ruled over by more hate….but that was all they were getting.

And Beta had used Vanellope image to fan it up again.

Beta had succeeded.

Beta had turned Vanellope into Turbo.

"V-Vanellope?" Ralph called, seeing the girl slumping down, turning grey.

"_It's not my fault…."_ She murmured to herself _"I didn't mean it. I didn't mean to say those things. It wasn't my fault….Why won't anyone believe me!?"_

The racers had said that.

"_**BELIEVE ME, STOP! I'M NOT LYIN'! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY TO EVERYONE!"**_

The racers had said that too.

But no one believed them.

"I'M SORRY!" Vanellope cried, clutching her hands to her head "I'M SORRY! I DIDN'T KNOW! I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO FIGHT HIM OFF!"

"Vanellope, don't listen to them!" Taffyta cried, trying to kick her way free but she was too twisted in the binds "DON'T LISTEN TO WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY!"

Ironic that of all people, Taffyta Muttonfudge was the one saying this, the girl known around the arcade only for her hatred of Vanellope and her idolization of Turbo but had they been there now, what would those people say? Taffyta no longer thought of those people for the only thing in her sight was Vanellope, the girl twisting and glitching as she continued to scream, Beta's mind-games frying her code from within.

"NO! NO! STOP!" Taffyta shouted "LEAVE HER ALONE! GET US OUT OF HERE! GET US OOOOOUT!"

Everyone began to fight but Beta had them held tight, their struggles and cries sweeter than any candy made in Sugar Rush.

Beta floated by "Your anger makes me smile."

"I'M GONNA RIP YA LIMB FROM LIMB!" roared Ralph.

"Your anger is delicious."

"THIS ISN'T RIGHT!" cried Felix.

"Struggle. Keep struggling….."

"WHEN WE GET THROUGH WITH YOU, THEY'LL THINK A CYBUG TORE THROUGH YA!" bellowed Calhoun.

"Yes. This is beautiful….." sang Beta, placing its hands on the twisted lines, shooting its powers into all that were connected to it "Just so much anger, so much energy. This is what the Master told me about since the beginning. This is why I begged them to let me go on this mission alone! I wanted to feel this kind of true, raw corruption!"

Soon the entire code room was filled with screams and in the middle of it all was Beta, the virus gracefully floating by as it watched its future victims flail and cry about. Their misery was feeding it, from the pointless threats from the adults, the cowering fear of the three racers above to Vanellope still hunched below, crying and weeping to herself over and over.

"_They had no control, I had no control, they had no control-!"_

Beta smiled, its form becoming more monstrous.

"I want to save you lot for the Master. I want to see them devour your WHOL-!"

_***BOOM!***_

"_**AUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURGH!"**_

The entire room echoed with a massive blast, the captives snapping out of their chants and calls to look over to see-!

"Mouse!" cried Calhoun.

"_**DAMN RIGHT!"**_ the marine shouted, her massive gun held in her arms "Stupid wall, made me use the heavy stuff!"

"Swizz?! GLOYD?!" Rancis said as he noticed the two boys alongside the marine "When did you-?!"

"Keep your curl up." Gloyd smirked, pulling a mallow-grenade from his pocket, pulling the pin out with his teeth "DUCK!"

Gloyd chucked the bomb at Beta, the thing exploding in its face and spreading hot, melted mallow crème all over its body. The burnt sugar scaled through its skin, making for holler and thrash, its concentration broken.

"Sarge, HERE!"

Mouse threw an anti-viral pack at the marine, Calhoun clutching the small item in her hands "Y-yeah, knew I could count on ya kid."

The virus hissed as it scratched violently away at the remaining bits of candy, the humanoid form cracking and bending into something much more horrific.

"Such bravery….." the virus snarled "Let's see if you are as sweet as those toys you throw!"

The virus took a dive towards the opening but in its rage it did not notice Ralph swinging towards it.

"Gotcha, scale-face!"

The man's heavy weight crashed down upon it, both getting entangled in the wires of the room but Ralph held on as best he could, feeling the ties around his ankles and wrist tighten.

"S-Sarge! Do somethin'!"

Calhoun managed to jostle an anti-viral pellet out the pack, breaking it open and allowing the liquid to run and burn the tethers, freeing her. She rushed to her husband, freeing him from his hold before going to the others.

"Okay, its time ta do some cleanin'!" the marine scowled as she took the big one out.

The BIG ONE?

The final bomb!

Ralph was still wrestling with the beast of a virus but his struggling was in vain. He managed to avoid getting bitten or scratched deep but without his arms and legs free he couldn't hold up the fight any longer.

"A-AAAUGH!" he screamed, his entire body in pain "I-I don't care what happens to me! YOU'RE NOT GETTIN' THOSE KIDS"

"YOU SHALL BE THE FIRST TO DIE!" cried Beta "LET THE OTHERS SUFFER THE FATES OF WATCHING YOU GET TORN APART!"

_***GLITCH!***_

"LEAVE RALPH ALONE!"

Vanellope raised her fist and hit Beta atop the head, a sharp hiss escaping its throat. While the hit wasn't at all painful it did distract the monster long enough for Calhoun to toss Ralph an anti-viral his way…..

"Hold your hands up!"

Which burned through the holds and allowed Ralph to get free.

"C'MERE!"

The big man grabbed the virus and slammed his fist into its face. Beta howled in pain as it flew back but Ralph followed, throwing his gigantic body through the void to catch Beta and turn it around, punching them over and over. He just could not stop!

"You HURT her!" the Wrecker roared, his face red "YOU HURT EVERYONE!"

"Ralph, c'mon!" Calhoun cried "You're gonna end up lost in here if ya float away!"

Ralph wasn't going to let Beta get away so easily. If he could, he would have killed the virus with his bare hands.

"You came to our arcade, you turned everyone against each other!"

"Ralph!" Felix shouted "Come back! COME BACK!"

Something within Ralph had been struck through Beta's action, the actions that had landed him in the role he had to live through all those years.

"Y-Yeah…." He panted, clutching Beta around its neck "Y-Ya did it alright. Ya brought back EVERYTHIN' ya no good excuse for SCUM! Ya brought back EVERYTHIN' that made this arcade so AWFUL for all'a us! CONGRATULATIONS, I bet it feels so good but ya won't be tellin' your 'MASTER' 'bout that!"

Beta laughed, its sinister smile widening.

"_**I**_ was the one who brought it back?" it chuckled "Oh, Mr. Ralph sir. The hate didn't come _**WITH**_ me. It's been here all this time. The only thing I did was give your jolly neighbors a pass to behave JUST as they thought _**YOU**_ wanted them too!"

Beta flipped, grabbing onto Ralph's collar and drawing him nearer. Even if the creature was no where near as big as the Wrecker, its presence was still felt, not a single blip of fear in its eyes.

"Why do you think I had so much fun playing the part of your PRECIOUS Vanellope?! It was so much fun getting away with so much thanks to the crowds who BLINDLY followed! _**FAMILIAR ISN'T IT?!**_"

"You-!"

Ralph had no time to react, Beta letting out an ear-splitting bray as its form seemed to ERUPT in the man's hands.

"All those nightmares you've been having? All those times you were forced to look back and see yourself, see what you were, what you could have become? _**IT WAS ME! I BROUGHT YOU TO FACE WHAT YOU REALLY MEAN IN THIS ARCADE!**_"

He cried out in horror as Beta surrounded them all, its breaking binary and corrupting code washing over everyone!

"OH GOD!"

"You are so worried about a VIRUS rotting this arcade from within!" Beta cackled madly "HA! I could SMELL the rotten code from this place long before I took the kid from the party! This place is a BUFFETT of easily swayed minds so long as I put on the right face!"

The creature separated the adults from the children, reaching out and grabbing Gloyd and Swizz, pulling them in with the other racers.

"But now we need to wrap things up. Must not waste our time before I call the master here, right?"

"Oh, master my BUTT!" cried Vanellope as she was pulled further and further into the void, kicking and trying to fight off Beta's hold, punching everywhere she could "Ya act so tough but we out-number-!"

"Oh, that's right you DO, PRINCESS!" the virus laughed, taking Vanellope's cheeks into her hold "Let's bring them ALL your little friends in, shall we?!"

The virus laid its tendrils upon the code boxes of all the racers, the boxes reacting with glitching and sparks. Outside the void, the racers screamed in pain and agony as their code was warp, stuck in place as the virus writhed inside of them.

"Oh, the kids!" cried Markowski but as he attempted to reach for one, they vanished before his eyes one after another.

"What?!"

"Where did they go?!"

And then-

Pops.

*Pop!*

* POP POP!*

*POP POP POP POP!*

They had all appeared!

One by one, the children were brought forth into the code void but they were held a great distance from the adults, the group so close to each other yet far enough that they were unable to help one another.

"W-What? What are we doing here?!" asked Citrusella, clutching onto Jubileena.

"I-Is this the code vault?!"

"W-What's happening?!"

Help!

HELP!

HELP US!

"Guys, don't-MPPPGH!"

"Gotcha!" Beta hissed as it wrapped its arms around the racer's mouth once more "Oh, you're a slipper one aren't ya?"

Vanellope scowled and tried to fight back but it only pleased Beta even more, it eyes filled with glee.

"Yes, keep of the energy. Its healthy to be active"

"Let her go!" shouted Ralph "She's already been through enough! She doesn't deserve-!"

"Oh, you're going to try THAT act with me now? The whole 'but she's SPECIAL!' plea with me?"

Beta laughed again, the racers huddling helplessly behind the figure.

"She isn't anything special." Beta smiled towards Ralph "She's just another racer. Just another racer everyone here fawns over like starving dogs begging for scraps. I could have taken ANY of these kids, ANY of them but I knew the one who would work the most was the one ANYONE would go out of their way to please! They wouldn't object to her! Its okay to be a bully as long as you did it in the name of Vanellope Von Schweetz!"

The aforementioned racer glanced over as best she could, catching the scared look of her friends behind her. She struggled against the hold of the virus once more, every word that came from its mouth making her angrier and angrier. She tried to glitch out of Beta's hold but they were in control of the code now; escape was impossible.

"If there is one thing I did disappoint MYSELF in it was that I didn't stay long enough to win YOU over, Mr. Ralph." The virus said teasingly, its large hand flicking Ralph on his nose. Ralph spat, tempted more and more to land a punch in the monster's face if he could.

"Guess that shows your act needed a lil work."

"But you have to give me a little credit, hmm? I was able to wring some emotion from you laying up there in that hospital bed, those little tears streaming down your face when you thought the child was hurt."

Ralph was now as red as fire but still he could do nothing. The virus' taunts were never ending.

"I was _**REALLY**_ hoping after that incident at the track, you'd actually do us a favor and put the Muttonfudge one away. Finally show that Wreck-it-Rage everyone keeps yammering on about here. Plus, if it HAD happened, I would have known for certain that I had EVERYONE I needed to take this place down."

Beta turned towards Taffyta, reaching out with an over-stretched arm and tickling her chin.

"But this precious baby came back anyway. To try to defend her home? After everything you fear? Everything that I have seen in your head. Oh-ho, you just made it easier for me, child. You made it all so much EASIER."

Taffyta tried to BITE the virus but it pulled away, laughing at the girl's vain attempts to fight back.

"Hmmm, maybe I SHOULD save you. I have another who is looking for one with a more….ANIMALISTIC quality to them. And you my dear, you have the makings of quiet the animal inside you. Just what to expect from the child of BAD PEOPLE, right?"

"AUUURGH! My family isn't BAD!" Taffyta roared "THEY AREN'T-!"

"Away with you." Beta said, lifting and hand "Your purpose is DONE!"

Everyone screamed as they felt their body FLUNG around of the room, the wall behind them breaking apart but then rebuilding itself once the adults had passed through.

"_**RAAAAAAAAAAALPH!"**_

"_**VANELLOPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"**_

Felix managed to turn around, noticing that as the tower was still up they had several stories down to go.

"AW SWEET CHRISTMAS" the Repairman yelled, reaching out and grabbing the floating carpet "This is gonna be a bit of a _**DROOOOP!**_"

Calhoun grabbed her husband's hand in which she then grabbed Ralph's the big man pulling all three of them down greatly.

"Phoo, Ralphie! Those Nicelanders have been givin' ya too much pie!"

"_**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"**_

"_**MOUSE!"**_ Calhoun screamed as her Cadet fell through the air, Ralph unable to catch her.

"Oh programmers! NO! NO, don't!-!"

And then Mouse saw it.

The ties to the balloon!

The massive pumpkin balloon was still hanging onto the outer section of the castle, the marine managing to guide herself over towards it and grab on, her deadly fall finally over.

"Oh…oh thank heavens….."

_***BOOM!***_

The entire castle shook as the upper portion of the tower began to break away from the entire building. Felix continued his struggle to hold on but he could feel his gloves slipping.

"W-What's going on!?"

"I don't know…." said Calhoun as she looked down "But babe?"

"Y-Yeah?!"

"Let go."

Felix's eyes nearly popped out of his skull "What?! NO!"

"LET US GO!"

"Calhoun!" shouted Ralph "I don't think that's a good-!"

Without another word, Calhoun let out a shout and KICKED her husband in the side, the force enough to knock his hold off the carpet as they all came tumbling down. Mouse was ready, the cadet jumping down from her own perch but dragging the skin of the balloon with her. The added weight off her own body acted as an anchor to the rubbery-material of the skin, the material light enough to slow her own decent downwards while also acting as a net for those above.

The three landed roughly but they held on, their decent going, going, going until they finally touched down upon the main floor of the castle, landing roughly.

"We have ta get 'em back" Ralph said as he looked up, seeing the top portion of the tower sailing higher and higher into the air "WE HAFTA GET THOSE KIDS BACK!"


	36. Chapter 36- Sweet Dreams

Chapter Thirty Six – Sweet Dreams

FLASH!

"HUH!?"

Vanellope opened her eyes….and everything was okay.

The castle was back to normal, the sun was out, and the birds were chirping.

"W-what?" the girl gasped, rushing over to a window "Sweet monkey milk-!"

Outside, the entire village was a-bustle with people, candy citizens walking about merrily as if nothing had happened. There was not a trace of virus or corruption to be seen anywhere, Sugar Rush having never been so beautiful in its entire game life.

It…it was PERFECT.

"I'm…I'm home?" the girl said, her heart beating and her spirits lifting so high that she could have sworn that SHE was floating off the ground _**"I'M HOME!"**_

Whatever had happened, it must have been quick. The anti-virus bomb must have worked, the game must have reset and things were back to the way they should be! But-!

"Where is everyone else?" Vanellope asked as she jumped back down, rubbing her chin "Tha others GOTTA be around somewhere an'-!"

"VANELLOPE!"

The girl glitched in her tracks, ducking down.

"S-Sarge?!"

"Vanellope, where are you?"

Wait, that voice didn't at all sound like the space marine….but….but it sounded so familiar. Vanellope quickly darted behind the throne once she heard someone marching in and once she saw the figure.

Her heart stopped.

Her jaw dropped.

Something flashed in her eyes, something sparked up her spine. She began to shake horribly, surprised that she just didn't begin rolling on the floor at how excited she was becoming.

"Ah, there you are." Said the figure, walking up to the throne.

"_N-No….no way!"_ the girl whimpered as she continued to hide _"M-MOM?!"_

A plump figure smiled dainty towards someone in the distance, a massive and gaudy dress wrapped on her frame, one that was bringing about all sorts of memories in the girl's mind.

Memories she had long since thought had been deleted by Turbo.

But this was true; her mother was standing before her in full pixels.

"Dear?"

What should Vanellope do? Should she come out of hiding? She should say anything?

This had to be a trick!

It could not be real!

"Now, what did I tell you?"

"A-About what?" Vanellope shivered, becoming more and more upset at the realization of what was happening "M-Mom….mom please! I don't-!"

"DON'T hang out with those under-class sweets!"

The racer's eyes sprung open as another voice echoed throughout the massive room.

"Ah, see? I knew you were listening to me."

Who was that?

Vanellope peeked from behind the throne and who should be before her….

But HERSELF.

"Why of course, mummy…." Said the princess, wearing her own awful dress and making Vanellope sick to her stomach but there was something else that 'Vanellope' wore one her face that made her even more upset.

That arrogant smile.

The one that Taffyta used to give her when Candy was in control. It was a smile that Vanellope hated to her very bone….but she was the one who was making it this time and she could only dread as to why.

"I know your father really wants this race to go on…." Continued the queen, putting a hand on her daughter's back and leading her out of the throne room "But there can only be so much before the entire idea gets RIDICULOUS if you ask me."

"What do you mean, mummy?" asked the Princess.

Yes, what DID she mean?

"I can understand uniting with our neighbors, I can understanding showcasing this kingdom off to the rest of this sweet, SWEET world but if Tobias thinks for a moment I am letting _**MY **_daughter, my precious BAAAY-BEE, race with a _**CRIMINAL?!**_"

Vanellope, the real one at least, tucked and rolled down the hall, her glitch being too bright NOT to notice in this case.

"You mean Nuthinfudge?" said the Princess.

Nuthinfudge?

Muttonfudge?

TAFFYTA?

Vanellope peered out from around the corner, her knees shaking together _"W-What is goin'-?"_

"I saw her on the grounds today." Sai the princess, a sour look about her face "Rancis must have brought her along with the Hanabi kid. Candlehead is her name?"

"Oh?"

"Yes…." Continued the Princess "I don't know what he sees in either of them but the more Taffyta talked, I saw what you meant."

The Queen peered down at the Princess, the girl crossing her arms and pouting.

"I don't trust her. Not at all!" said the Princess "It's bad enough that her dad is a _**BAD GUY**_ but her mother is so big and scary too!"

The Queen rolled her eyes "Malva? Puff, a rabid mongoose in sheep's clothing. I learned that the hard way."

"If they were to come to the races, they would make the entire kingdom look bad."

"Indeed they would." said the Queen, nodding in agreement "If it were not for Berlingots, we wouldn't have gotten into trouble with Candicus in the first place. He wouldn't have found out about our families secrets nor would he have-!"

The Queen stopped, shaking her head as she looked down at her daughter.

"Vanellope, darling? You have to keep your wits up about the Muttonfudge clan. They are of bitter stock from father, to mother, to _**DAUGHTER!**_ They are _**ALL**_ bad people!"

Vanellope could not believe what she was listening to. It was as if….as if she were listening to Turbo tell the other racers just how BAD she was, everyone buying the truth of it. The thing that scared the racer the most though was that as the Queen continued to talk, it began to come back to her. The pieces were falling right back into place because they were true. They were right there in the story of Sugar Rush. What she was listening to was not some warped memory that Turbo had implanted nor a twisted vision from a virus.

This was how things were written.

This was how the backstories were placed.

What Vanellope was witnessing was HER backstory.

This…..this was HER beginning.

And it was nowhere as sweet as everyone had told her it was.

"How can father trust them so much?" asked the Princess "Daddy says that I should open up more to the other children in the kingdom but…."

"Tobias has a sweet heart. It is one of his strengths…." said the Queen "But it is also his weakness as well. For the things your father LACKS, I must step in and one of those things he lacks is the backbone to keep our kingdom _**SAFE**_. That is the hardest thing about being royal, Vanellope. Everything you do isn't going to please _**EVERYONE**_, but it's _**ALWAYS**_ for the right cause."

Vanellope frowned again, looking off to the side "Royal or not. I am _**NOT**_ racin' with a _**BAD GUY.**_"

BOOM.

Is that where that had come from?

_I am NOT racing with a GLITCH!_

_I am NOT racing with a BAD GUY!_

Vanellope felt herself falling down to the ground, her head filled with memories of what was written and what was experienced. All those years of being bullied by the other kids? Was it just a reflection of what had happened in the story? A cruel twist to Vanellope's own behavior? This could not be so. Turbo could not have been that cruel but with everything he stole, with everything he had taken from the racers, it was possible.

That was how he did it.

He gained knowledge of the story, he warped it in his own way, and he turned EVERYTHING against Vanellope. She was princess but the things she had said about her 'friends'.

They were not sweet, they were not kind.

SHE was not kind.

If only Ralph had been there to hear everything, to hear the little Princess express her hate for 'Bad Guys' or what she considered bad guys.

"Your father will understand your concern…." said the Queen as she led Vanellope, the one from the stories away "If he loves you, he'll make certain that the Muttonfudges don't go near the track. It's for the best and for the protection of _**EVERYONE**_ in the kingdom."

This was too much!

It was too much like Turbo!

The real racer rocked on her feet, holding her ears shut but she could not push the images away.

"No, no! It's just a backstory! _**JUST A BACKSTORY!**_" she cried, glitching from behind the throne and running away. She ran, ran, ran as fast as she could, the people of the sweet world paying her no mind as she rushed past the shops but….but she began to slow down as she took notice of her surroundings.

They…they looked different than what was in the game, everything much more busy and bright. The shops that she and the others had walked by so many times before…they looked odd.

The Candle Wick Café?

Muttonfudge Dance Studio?

Where were these in the game?

"What…what are these places?"

Vanellope just stood before the entries, not sure what to do or where to go. The tiny candy people continued to mill about her, ignoring her as if she were just a tree or another object to pass by. The girl was shaking as she looked at the studio, the sign decked out in strawberries and pink.

Muttonfudge.

She could hear music playing inside, the soft sounds of a piano coming from upstairs.

Dare she?

It wasn't as if anyone was telling her no.

She might as well not exist.

Look one way, then another.

***GLITCH!***

She could only go so high, her glitch taking her just high enough where she reached the thin sill of the second floor window and there she hung.

"A-ah! One more time!"

***GLITCH!***

She managed to glitch through the wall this time, landing hard on the floor of a massive dance studio. The piano playing was much louder this time, the girl catching notice of a man at the instrument, his back turned towards her. She got up, hoping that she had not been heard and crept somewhere to hide.

He was small, round and short. A plump body, tiny graceful gloved fingers, legs so short they didn't even touch the ground as he sat on the bench in front of the piano. Vanellope peeked further, seeing his cream-white hair and thick, dark brows, a big dark mustache only accenting his chubby pink cheeks. He continued to play, lost in the long melody but he hit the keys harder and HARDER as if something inside of him was at war. Vanellope had never heard music playing in such a way so she stopped, she listened.

An then he stopped.

She meeped, fearful that someone had finally saw her but all that came from him was a long sigh, hitting a few keys in his funk.

"_Sacrebleu…."_

Funny; his voice was MUCH deeper than someone of his stature was showing off.

"_I….I remember his voice…."_ Vanellope thoughts to herself _"I…I remember hearing it sometimes and-!"_

_***SLAM!***_

Vanellope nearly tumbled forward, footsteps racing up the stairs, crying accompanying them.

"Taffyta?"

A flash of pink entered the room, a girl slamming the door behind her as she slid down, hands over her face and sobbing.

"Taffyta!" said the little man as she jumped up and raced towards the girl "Goodness, what is it berry-butt?"

"D-Daddy?"

Taffyta's father!

"_Oh my gobs…."_ Vanellope whispered _"I-It really is him! S-She looks just like him!"_

The little man took a handkerchief from his pocket and began dabbing his daughter's cheeks "Taffyta, Taffyta! Calm down before you flood the entire studio! We'll have to call that weird plumber guy again if you do that!"

"They said it again!" cried the strawberry racer.

"How-bitty-bubbity-WHUT?" the man said, a brow arched "Who is _**THEY**_ and _**WHAT**_ did they say?"

Such a way of talking, this man possessed.

Taffyta looked cross, growling loudly "It's-It's that fart-head Princess! She-! She called me a bad guy again!"

"Princesse Von Schweeeeeeetz?" the man said, getting his daughter up and walking her over to the piano bench "But I thought you two were friends. Reese's kid was taking you to the castle all the time so-"

"SHE'S NOT NICE!" Taffyta shouted.

"HMM."

"I-! I don't know WHAT happened but-!"

Taffyta looked as if she were about to come up with another wave of tears, the girl burying her face in her father's chest and clutching onto him tightly.

"Oh!"

Through it all Vanellope hid, wanting to know exactly what 'SHE' had said. It was more than enough to hear such words coming from her own mouth as well as her mother's but…but was she really THAT bad in her backstory? Truly this could not be the case.

Taffyta managed to calm down, looking up at her father "Daddy?"

"Yes, poodle-top?" the man responded, putting a hand on is daughter's head but Taffyta moved out from under the hand.

Vanellope knew Taffyta was sensitive about her hair as well.

"Do….do you think I'm a bad guy?"

The man sat next to his daughter on the bench, a comforting arm around her shoulder "Why would you ever think that you were? I mean, I know people say I'm a massive jerk but-!"

"Because….because…."

Vanellope could see the strawberry girl biting her lip. She was hesitating but for what?

"Because….because I'm your daughter." The girl said sadly "Princess Vanellope said that since…that since you're my dad and you used to work for Candicus in his circus that means _**I'M **_bad too."

Vanellope's eyes widened even more as she continued to listen.

"I…I don't know what happened between you and this Candicus guy but….but I don't wanna be a bad guy, daddy! I DON'T WANNA BE A BAD GUY BUT EVERYONE SAYS I AM!"

"And you are NOT!" the man said, his voice dropping even LOWER the angrier he became "I severed my ties with that goon long ago! What I did in the past means nothing to your future!"

"But-!" Taffyta cut in "But it does! Daddy, I _**AM**_ a bad guy! Everyone says I am!"

Everyone?

This was starting to sound familiar.

"Everywhere I walk now, everywhere I go….since Princess Vanellope said it I hear them all the time. They say I'm a bad guy, they say MAMA is a bad guy….and they say you're the worst of all."

Taffyta hung her head down.

"They say they want you out of the kingdom, they want ALL of us out of the kingdom. They say Muttonfudges bring bad luck and worse? Candicus will come back because of-!"

"Me?" the strawberry man pointed to himself. Taffyta shook her head.

"No, because of ME!"

"YOU?" said the man.

"YOU?!" said Vanellope, slamming her hands over her mouth once she realized she had screamed so loudly.

"**ME."**

Vanellope gasped, turning around to see….TAFFYTA!

"What-?! WAIT! YOU'RE HERE?!"

Taffyta, the one that Vanellope was so familiar with, stood beside the racer, lowering a hand to help her up.

"_Ah…."_

"Vanellope said that Candicus is coming back for me because…because that's how bad I am! I'm just Candicus' little follower and that's all I'll ever be! I'll be part of his circus forever!"

Vanellope gulped, everything coming back from the story but she had never seen it unfold from this point of view. All her memories of her backstory were meant to be presented from her own angle but somehow Vanellope had found herself inside Taffyta's portion of the tale.

Or better yet, she had found herself inside of Taffyta's memories.

"W-What is this?"

"This is the great Taffyta Muttonfudge…." The strawberry racer said "I was a crybaby then….and I still am now, I guess."

"But-!" Vanellope blustered "But….those things that happened! They-! I-!"

"Turbo made me feel like I was on top of the world…." The strawberry racer said "When he put his own vision in our heads, there was none of this."

Vanellope looked over, Taffyta crying as the plump little man held her.

"It'll be fine my little, berry." The man smiled "Do you want daddy so shoot some holes in some walls?"

"**NO."**

"Then how about I have your mother kick a few people?"

Her father was joking; that was his way of handling everything. Even if the sight before her was just a story, just a memory, hearing her father being so silly made Taffyta, the REAL one, smile.

"When King Candy took over, there were no tears because this was the part that he took out." continued the girl "In his world, he made me his darling pet. Not his PRINCESS, but his PET. If this part were out, I would never have been so close to him. If I remember this, I would have never followed his orders. But he took out the story to make me feel like his own special darling and of course, what kind of 'KING' would let a MUTT be by his side?"

"A mutt?" Vanellope asked.

"That's what I am…." Taffyta sai with a miserable smile "A mutt, a freak,….a bad guy."

The girl looked down in shame, her eyes stinging.

"Taffyta Muttonfudge. Back then, I was just the kid of criminals. My papa, a BAD GUY. Considering the things HE did, Ralph would have gotten off EASY. Ralph just WRECKED things. My dad…..he helped try to take down a kingdom. _**YOUR**_ kingdom! Th-this is my legacy! You're the _**PRINCESS,**_ I'm the _**PAUPER!**_"

"Taffyta….this isn't right! I mean-! It's just a _**BACKSTORY!**_ You're not really a-!" Vanellope said "Th-this isn't the way thing worked out for you ALL the time was it? I mean….if it was this bad, why did you –"

"Why did I feel so much better when I read the book?" the girl said, a small smile on her face. She then pointed back to the scene, the man hugging Taffyta warmly.

"Now listen to me, cream-top! You are NO bad guy!"

Taffyta, the one from the memory, sniffled "I-I'm not?"

"NO! No you are not!" the man said "You are only a bad guy when you CHOOSE to act like a monster, when you hurt other people! DO YOU WANT TO DO THAT?!"

The girl sniffled again, shaking her head no. The chubby man puffed out his chest, strutting in the room with his arms behind his back, his head held up high.

"Candicus. Candy….HEH, he CHOSE to be such a little piece of bitter chocolate."

The man stopped, smirking at his own words. He patted himself on the top of the head, his cheeks blushing a bit.

"_Little? He was taller than ME...YOU'RE taller than me!"_

"Daaaad…."

"What I am saying, Berry-bottom is that….is that you do have a choice. I had a choice and do you know what I got?"

The little girl shook her head no, the man letting out a laugh so loud and powerful that Vanellope was certain the entire studio shook.

"I gotta flufffle-butt wife and a daughter who I KNOW is gonna follow in her footsteps!"

The strawberry girl moaned, looking off to the side "I'm not good enough to be like mom. I…I wish I were but…."

"Look at me, Taffyta." The man said in a gentle tone "What do you want? What do you want to be?"

"I….I want to be…."

The girl thought for a moment as she peered up at her father. Even if he were so small, so small, so small from her point of view he looked so BIG. He looked big and strong and nothing like the bad guy everyone had said he was.

He was her big, silly, huggable father.

The girl furrowed her brows, standing up on her feet.

"I wanna show everyone that the Muttonfudges are not BAD!" the girl shouted "I wanna show them that I'm good, mama's good, and YOU'RE good! I wanna be in that race!"

"Okay, that's wonderful…." The man said in a chuckled "But Taffyta?"

"Huh?"

"Don't just put the entire focus for the race on ME. I want you to have FUN. You deserve to have fun and not live out your life in my shadow."

The man snorted loudly, taking his place back on the piano bench.

"Even if in realty, my shadow is really tiny."

Taffyta looked so bright and happy as she looked at her father, jumping into his arms for another hug.

"Thanks, daddy." The girl said, feeling so much better after her talk "Thank you so much…."

"I love you Taffyta." Said the man, holding his daughter tight "You remind this ol' circus freak how lucky he is."

Vanellope was taken away by the exchange, glancing over at her friend who was now trying her best to hold back her own tears.

"That's why I was so happy…" said the real Taffyta "My dad might have been 'bad'….but he loved me. He didn't want to use me for his own goals like Turbo did. Turbo….Turbo never loved me like that. He never hugged me like that. He never read me stories, never made me laugh when I felt bad…..Turbo…he wasn't a king and he wasn't my father."

The girl began to shake again, her knees feeling weak.

"My dad, my REAL dad, was a bad guy. But the best bad guy ever. Turbo? He called himself good, a king…._but he turned my life into a NIGHTMARE…"_

The two heard the door opening again, Vanellope looking over.

"Who is- BWHOA!"

One.

BIG.

STRAWBERRY!

"MAMA!"

Vanellope ducked under the drapes as a MASSIVE figure entered the room, a figure who looked to be the same TOWERING height as Ralph!

"W-Who is-?!"

Taffyta said nothing, her face now turned towards the wall "I don't know why RALPH shocked me. I live with HER."

"Malva!" said the man, a smirk on his face "I was wondering when you were going to arrive home. There were no people screaming in the streets so I got worried."

The massive woman huffed, removing her large fluffy coat and allowing the trail of massive pink curls to unwind, the mass burying Vanellope on the floor.

"_**URRF!"**_

"Really…." The woman began, her voice as smooth as chocolate "Berlingots, do you know what type of example you are setting for our daughter by acting in such a w-OH!"

Before Malva could finish, Taffyta had jumped and spun into her arms, hugging her mother round her neck.

The 'Stay Sweet' move.

It had come from SOMEWHERE and now both girls knew where.

"I'm gonna race!" Taffyta said happily "I'm gonna race and we won't have to move and everything will be better! You'll see!"

Malva blinked, pulling her daughter away "What do you mean, child?"

"I talked with daddy! I know what I'm gonna do now and they'll see! The Muttonfudges aren't bad guys!"

Malva stalled, looking over at Berlingots with a worried look.

"Dear?"

"Taffyta…."

The strawberry girl looked, worry coming on her face "Y-Yes?"

"Baby….I know you wanted to race but…."

"B-But? But what?"

"But…."

"But what mama?"

"But….."

"Mama?"

"But…."

But

But

BUT

BUT!

The scene froze, Taffyta's worried face frozen before all as the entire area began to shake.

"W-W-What's happenin'?!" screamed Vanellope, falling onto Taffyta "I don't remember hittin' pause on this!"

Horrid laughter filled the area, the still shot shattering all around. The girls screamed as they tumbled about, falling, falling, falling until-!

"_**NOT SO FAST!"**_

They stopped in their tracks, strong hands holding them both by their ankles and pulling them up. The world of Sugar Rush began to melt around them, returning to the horrid place in the code void.

"W-We're still here?!" gasped Vanellope.

"Why of coooooourse…." hissed Beta, the virus fully transformed into the monster that it was "But I wanted to give you two a little treat before I finally did you in."

Taffyta growled as she tried to fight back but it was no use "Say it again. Say it again like I won't kick your teeth out!"

"Mmmm, so tart." Laughed the virus "I must admit as seeing you two act in such a way so SOOOOO charming. It reminds me of so many other games my hive have been to, that we have destroyed and assimilated. What I love so much about YOU game however is just-! Is just-!"

Beta let out a little laugh, knocking the girls together.

"Oh, I just love the twist in all of this!"

"What do ya mean?" asked Vanellope scowling angrily.

"Just think about it, darling. In the truth of the story, _**YOU'RE**_ the horrible bully that everyone in this arcade said they HATE. I mean think about it, if everyone KNEW your story, the way you had treated everyone even without Turbo-whatshisname, do you even THINK people would give you the time of day? Do you think they would even CARE about you at all?"

Beta then looked over at Taffyta, rubbing her head roughly.

"And who was the poor, unfortunate, boo-hoo MISFIT? Why, Ms. Muttonfudge and her mutant freak family, that's who. I would have LOVED to see you cry even more, all that mascara running down your face as someone brings up the awful truth of just how malodorous your family really is!"

"My parents were NOT freaks!" Taffyta shouted, pulling her hat up "They were-!"

"FREAKS. Let is just be like that." Said Beta "I wasn't kidding when I said 'Mama Mammoth' looked like a burnt stick and Papa Potbelly looked like a bloated strawberry! Swirl those mixtures together and no wonder you get an ugly looking MUTT such as yourself!"

"STOP IT" shouted Vanellope, jumping before Taffyta "Why are ya doin' this ta-! Ta all'a us?!"

"Vanellope, don't act as if this is new. Those words were all agreed upon by EVERYONE here. So imagine it. Even if I weren't hear and news got out on the truth of everyone in this game, people here would STILL think Taffyta is a freakish mutt of a bad guy! It's just so wonderful to think of all the misery to come from this!"

"You're LYIN'! THAT IS NOT TRUE!"

"Oh, but it is Von Schweetz…" Beta said, revealing the other racers behind them, their bodies motionless, their eyes shut.

"What did ya do ta-!?"

"Hush, hush, hush…they are asleep."

The two girls looked on, seeing that above the sleeping racers were code boxes, boxes that revealed every inner memory they had, whether it was from their story or things they had gathered through their lives in the arcade, past and present.

"Consider this is a parting gift from me…." Beta said sweetly "All those memories you were hunting for? They're back, back for good. But not all those memories are sweet now are they?"

Beta moved over to a few racers, placing their clammy hands on the surface and letting the virus leech through.

"I can bring out all those bad memories from the past…."

Candlehead kicked and thrashed in her sleep, the box showing out her greatest fears. She was running from something, running from laughter and jeers.

"You're just a stupid kid!"

"Yeah, big dummy!"

"N-no…." Candlehead whimpered, tears coming from her eyes "M-Mom! Papa!"

"Oh, so so sad….." the virus said mockingly "Mommy and daddy aren't here to make things better. They don't exist in this game, remember? But oh, how some things never change. They called Candlehead stupid in the story. Guess what they call her in the ARCADE?"

Vanellope watched as memories from only a few days prior were then brought up. At first she thought it was part of the story but then she saw that Candlehead was running through the station, trying with all her might to escape whoever was chasing her.

STUPID!

BULLY!

BIG STUPID BULLY!

SHOW HER WHAT WE DO WITH BULLIES!

"Stop, stop!" cried the girl as she ran away "I-I'm sorry! Just leave me alone!"

"Who are ya gonna run to?"

Candlehead looked back, seeing Vanellope, or BETA in Vanellope's form, standing over her smirking.

"Where are ya gonna go? HOME? There is no one there for ya, Candle-Dip. No one ta hear your cries!"

"Vanellope, stop!" the other girl said.

In the void, the real Vanellope was growing more and more angry with what she saw. This wasn't how things were supposed to go, this wasn't how she acted, nor what she wanted from the other racers.

"When we get out of this?! I-I'll-!"

"You'll do what?" Beta said, making the viruses seep through each racer, causing them more and more pain "Even if you did manage to get out, guess what? This will keep happening. This will keep happening because of you!"

"Why are you blamin' ME for this?!"

"The other racers are NOTHING, Vanellope. Your voice said that and everyone believes it!"

"THOSE WERE NOT MY WORDS!"

"Are you certain?"

"I NEVER WANTED THA GUYS TO GO THROUGH THIS!"

"Are you sure?"

"I-!"

Vanellope was winded, the virus looming over her and Taffyta.

"I-I-!"

"YOU…." Beta finished "Are MINE. And soon enough, the entire arcade will be mine as well. The master will have another addition to add to their collection, more games in their graveyard."

Vanellope and Taffyta clutched onto each other, neither girls knowing what to do as the virus hovered over them.

"T-Taffyta!"

"V-Vanellope!"

"This….this can't be it! We can't let it end this way! We already lost so much! I just wanted ta race! I never wanted people ta turn me inta this! I just wanted-!"

Vanellope stopped.

"I just wanted….."

Beta snickered, enjoying the girl's pathetic cries.

"I just wanted what everyone else wanted here….We wanted out memories back…we wanted out stories back."

She then looked over at Taffyta, the strawberry racer confused.

"A-and?"

"An'…..an' we got 'em!"

"What?"

"Ya put tha pieces back together….." Vanellope said, feeling something forming within her "In tha last moments, ya made us remember EVERYTHIN'. Who we are, where we come from…."

The smile grew bigger, Vanellope starting to glow with a glitch.

"An' maybe I wasn't as perfect an' as wonderful as everyone keeps sayin' I am! Maybe I was a bully in our story but ya know what happened in tha END of tha Sugar Rush tale?!"

Beta scowled "What are you blabbering on about you little piece of trash?"

"We all got back together!" Vanellope said, grabbing onto Taffyta's hand "AN' WE BEAT CANDICUS AGAIN!"

Without so much as a warning, Vanellope SPUN Taffyta and FLUNG her into Beta's face!

"_**GWAAAAAAAAAAAAAURGH!"**_

"Taffyta!" Vanellope shouted "DO THAT MOVE YOUR MOM TAUGHT YA WHEN THAT JAW-BREAKER SAID YOU HAIR WAS DYED!"

Ding.

Another memory back.

If only the others were there to see the devilish grin appearing on the strawberry racer's face.

"_Oh yeaaaaaaah."_

STAY.

**SWEET!**

_***KA-POW!***_

"_**AAAAAAAAAAAUUUUURGH!"**_

Taffyta was storing up so many years of anger in that one kick, her foot landing such a blow she could feel the hard, crunchy insides of Beta's form breaking under her feet. She bounced back, landing right next to Vanellope.

"Oh-HOOOOOO did that feel GOOOOOOOD." The racers laughed, rubbing her gloves together "So, SO GOOOOD!"

Beta recovered looking at the girls with hungry eyes "Do you think that is e-!"

"Taffyta!" Vanellope cried, reaching for a code-box marked 'red-hots' "HOT POTATO!"

"Hot potato!"

Vanellope quickly tossed the box over to Taffyta, the other girl activating it before tossing it over to Beta, the thing spraying out scalding hot candies in its face.

"W-WHAT IS THIS?!"

"Ya may have gotten my looks right…." Vanellope said, kicking another random item code box into the virus' face "But you'll never BE me, Ugly! Nor will ya know how we really kick things in this game!"

Taffyta reached for another box, this one labeled-

"Special delivery!"

Taffyta Trap

Using her powerful legs, Taffyta launched the box at Beta and as soon as it exploded, it covered the entire creature with sticky, gooey, impossibly gummy TAFFY!

"UURGH! Wh-what is this?!"

"Present from the 'MUTT'! How ya like it!?"

"Taff!"

The girl looked, over Vanellope, signaling up to her.

"Up here!"

Making certain that Beta was distracted, Taffyta pushed herself upwards towards the others, Vanellope already working away at pulling the infected cords off them of them.

"Help me!"

"On it!"

"_**RRRRRRRRGH! YOU WORTHLESS TWITS!"**_

"Hurry!"

"Ughn, Vanellope?" Rancis moaned, finally able to move again "W-What is-!"

_**BWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAR!**_

"GAH! Let me go back to sleep! LET ME GO BACK TO SLEEP!"

"No time!" Vanellope said "We hafta get this thing outta here! Maybe if we reset then-!"

"We can't!" said Taffyta "Not without the anti-viral bomb! It's tha only thing that will wipe that monster from the game once the reset is enabled!"

"Then who has it?!"

"Mrs. Sargent Tamera Jean Calhoun does!" said Candlehead "B-but she an' everyone else got knocked outta here before we could grab it!"

"That's _riiiiiiiiiigt…._" said Beta, whirling itself around the children "And it's so tragic that in the end, you fought such a fight but you still lost. I guess if that shows anything, Sugar Rush really is the most defenses game in this place! I mean, look at how many times it's been attacked, not because it holds something PRECIOUS! But rather because everyone within it sucks!"

Vanellope scowled; she had been glitched, she had been lied to, she had been held captive for years and years.

NO ONE.

TELLS HER SUGAR RUSH SUCKS.

Beta continue to laughed, continue to cackle, its claws ready to rip the game apart.

"Allow me to savor the moment, allow me to remember the looks on your faces before your demise! I want the master to-!"

"Tha MASTER…." Vanellope growled, taking Taffyta's hand again "Will have to wait for another game."

Beta looked down, seeing the racers grabbing their hands, one after one, after one.

"You can't not expect me to buy this without laughing. My sides hurt enough as it is!"

"C'mon guys! Let's show this oversized booger how we do things, SUGAR RUSH Style!"

"What can you do?!"

S-U-G-A-R!

"You can't defeat me!"

S-U-G-A-R!

"What can YOU do?!"

_**JUMP INTO YOUR RACING KART!**_

"_**CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGE!"**_

A mighty roar came from the kids as they launched themselves forward, attacking Beta all over.

The laughter stopped.

"I'm CURIOUSLY strong!" roared Minty, punching the monster in the face "HAVE SOME!"

"Hope you're hungry." Said Gloyd, shoving his entire inventory of Pumpkin Bombs in Beta's mouth "These are mighty sweet!"

"BLAUGHR!"

The kids moved in, the literal RUSH of energy powering them through to distract and over run the virus villain.

Punches.

Kicks.

Bites.

Scratches.

Whatever they could do, the kids did it.

They were not going to let their game go down this time.

"Swizz, we need your brain man!" said Vanellope "We have ta get Calhoun's bomb in here but how?!"

"Lemme handle this!" the boy said as he wink, floating up to the code-box of the main controls. He managed to push in the code lock, scrolling through and through until-

"Tha intercoms!"

*Beep*

A microphone materialized in front of the boy, the thing turned up to full blast.

* * *

"How ta get in! How ta get in!" Calhoun blustered, her mind losing focus "We can't-!"

_***SCREEEEEE-!***_

"AH!"

"S-S-S-SARGE!?"

Ralph and Felix looked up, noticing the speakers on the track shaking as Swizz' voice came through loud and clear.

"Is that-?"

"Sarge, can ya hear me?!"

"Y-Yeah! I CAN! I CAN!" the woman looked around, unsure if Swizz could hear HER.

"If ya get this message, I'm gonna need ya to throw your virus bomb INTA THA CUP!"

"Tha cup?" asked Felix, turning to see the giant winner's cup topped over "B-But is it still functionin'?! An' why would-?"

Calhoun didn't miss a beat as she already had an inkling of what the boy was telling her to do. She dashed off to the massive trophy, climbed up the hill of debris and chucked the belt and the bomb inside.

"There!"

"CALHOUN!" cried Ralph "That was our only means of killin' Beta! Why did ya-!"

"We need ta duck, NOW!" Calhoun shouted as she took both her husband and Ralph over to the nearest garage.

Why had Swizz told Calhoun to throw the bomb into the cup?

Anything that goes into the cup…..

Is sent STRAIGHT to the code room.

* * *

"C'mon, c'mon…." Swizz chanted, seeing the data of the bomb arriving through the cup's code "YES!"

"It's here!" cheered Vanellope but her hopes were cut short when Beta let out a thunderous roar, blowing the other racers away.

"THIS IS NOT HOW ITS GOING TO END!" the monster cried out "I WORKED TO HARD FOR THIS! I AM NOT GOING TO LOSE MY CHANCE TO-!"

"And I am not gonna lose my home OR my friends again!" Vanellope growled, the bomb in her hand. She could see Beta's eyes shrinking down in fear, as if it could feel the energy of the bomb already.

"I-If you let that off in here, with all of you! You'll be vaporized!"

"So?" growled Vanellope "If that means gettin' your pimply face outta this arcade, it's a risk I-!"

"WE'LL!"

The girl looked down, the racers gathering behind her.

"_G-Guys?"_

"It's a risk WE'RE all gona take!" said Taffyta, looking back at the others "For Sugar Rush?!"

_**FOR SUGAR RUSH!**_

"No! I won't let you!" cried Beta, growing bigger and angrier towards the racers "A VIRUS WILL NOT STAND TO BE BEATEN BY CHILDREN! TO BE BEATEN BY A GLITCH! BY A BULLY!"

"_I am __**NOT**__ a __**GLITCH**__._" said Vanellope, a few racers gathering under her, her feet in their hands.

"_And I am __**NOT**__ a __**BULLY.**__"_ said Taffyta, the others repeating the same action with her.

Vanellope was launched towards the virus.

"_**NO!"**_

Taffyta was launched towards the main code set box.

Erase.

Reset.

"_**NO!"**_ roared Beta "_**NO, YOU CAN'T!"**_

_**YES! **_

_**WE!**_

_**CAN!**_

It happened so quick, it happened so fast….

Vanellope SHOVED the bomb in Beta's chest, Taffyta hit the reset button on the controls.

Click.

Ping.

Tick, tick, tick…..

…..

Everyone held their breaths.

BOOM.


	37. Chapter 37- Sugar Rush

Chapter Thirty-Seven- Sugar Rush

There was light.

A massive light.

The entire code room was filled with it.

The racers could see themselves, becoming engulfed by either sides.

The power of the reset, the power of the virus-bomb.

All coming together.

One.

Two.

Three.

_***BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!***_

The children screamed as they mighty force blew them back, feeling the burn of the bomb and the power of the reset engulfing their entire bodies From her position, Vanellope watched as Beta let out one final terrified scream, going from monster, to person, to nothing but pixels and-

"_**NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-***_

GONE.

The entire game was hit by a massive wave, everyone inside of it knocked off their feet.

"W-What happened?!" cried Felix, Ralph leaping to his feet.

"Vanellope!" he shouted in anguish "Oh programmers, VANELLOPE!"

But then…..

It began.

From the top of the floating tower, wondrous lights began to shoot out. Stars of all colors and sized raced through the sky, reaching the further reaches of the entire land. Marines, candy people, and returned arcade citizens alike looked around in both awe and fear as Sugar Rush began to reset.

But this time as it should have been.

The markets began to rebuild themselves but new signs were in place.

No, not NEW signs. Signs that should have always been there.

The Candle Wick Café!

The Muttonfudge Dance Studio!

"Look!"

The Malarkey Auto Garage returned, the Zaki inn began to rebuild itself! The gardens of the castles look healthier and brighter than ever! House began to return, statues of the REAL Royal family coming into view.

Ralph, Calhoun, and Felix were amazed at what they were seeing, at what they were witnessing but most of all….

Sparks began to appear before them.

Sparks, flashes, and stars.

"W-What now?"

A mint-colored hoodie.

A pink dress.

Familiar clothing all around.

"Kids?"

One after another, the kids returned to their places right in the middle of the track, exhausted, battle worn but in once piece.

"Vanellope!" Ralph cried happily, reaching down for the girl and embracing her in a hug "Oh programmers! Oh programmers I thought I lost ya!"

The light continued to fly about the game, the final touches of the reset going into place. Everywhere, the sugar looked brighter and sweeter than ever, as if the game had been freshly plugged in. The racers looked astonished, looking down as even their clothing began to change, the tiny details of their families love and care showing up in the little bits of candy and patterns they wore.

"W-What's is all of this?" Taffyta said, looking down as a pin popped up upon her coat. Vanellope was speechless as the little transformations continued, the girl turning to see the flags of all the Sugar Rush racers and their family crest hanging over the starting line.

Snowanna had to remove her glasses, making sure it was not a dream "G-Guys?"

Vanellope glitched out of Ralph's arms, looking at the game as it finally completed the full-reset.

She knew that things were back.

Back the way they should be.

"G-Guys" Vanellope cried out "Our-! OUR HOME! It's back!"

The racers could only let out a few little chatters amongst themselves, still not sure if it were all true. They reached out, touched the goal post, felt the silk of the flags against their fingers.

It was real

This was really happening.

Great cheers of joys came about as the racers jumped up and cried in delight! This was no dream; it was the Sugar Rush they remembered! The Sugar Rush that was always meant to be!

"OUR CREST!" Jubileena cried out as she took her sister by the arm "L-Look! They're there!"

"They are there!" said Sticky "Th-they were gone for so long but-!"

The girl was cut off as Taffyta made her way back to the palace, running at such speeds the likes the others had never seen before.

"Taff?"

"Please be there, please be there!" the girl panted, crying as she pushed passed the throne room, past the great halls and into….

The Hall of Racers.

She stopped, face red, chest heaving up and down. Soon the others gathered behind her and they too stopped. Ralph could not believe what he was seeing, the room was once empty closed off, the man remember that a massive picture of King Candy had once 'graced' the walls.

But now it was a giant room, a giant room filled with pictures.

Of EVERY family in Sugar Rush.

They were all there.

Looking own upon the racers were their families and finally….there was proof.

Proof that the racers had meaning.

Proof that the racers had stories.

Proof that the racers had families.

Families who loved them.

The kids slowly crept in but their excitment could not be contained for long. Much to their surprise, Crumbelina was the first to give a cheer, running up to the picture of her parents.

"I-! I remember everything! Mama and papa! How happy they were when they saw me race!"

Adorabeezle and Nougetsia ran up to the picture of their aunt, Adorabeezle speaking for the two of them "Auntie Bomba came out to see us! She had never been so happy!"

"An' daddy!" Candlehead squealed in delight "He cheered so loud I think they could hear him back for miles!"

"Mum and dad….they actually saw this together…." Sniffled Rancis "They…they came to see me race TOGETHER."

The racers all had something to say, the memories of what made them race and how much they loved it flooding back more and more.

After so many years, they had finally gotten their home back.

"Are….are these your parents?" Ralph said, looking up at the picture of the Queen and King. Vanellope recalled them both, the girl feeling as if she could actually feel their presence around her.

"Y-Yeah….that's them. Q-Queen Milka and King Tobias-Lerone….." the girl sniffled "A-An' their little Vanellope."

The girl shook her head, trying to push back the mushy feeling in her heart.

"A-Aw but-! D-Did they really have to draw me in such an awful dress? I mean-!"

Vanellope looked over, noticing that Taffyta had not said a word since entering the room. She looked at her family portrait.

Her name was inscribed on the golden plate along with that of her mother and father.

Berlingots Muttonfudge.

Malva Muttonfudge.

They were both there.

They were both their, holding onto their daughter, looking so proud, so happy.

Like the family Taffyta had always wanted.

"T-Taff?" Vanellope said, moving behind the girl with Ralph beside her "A-Are you going to be okay?"

Taffyta slowly sank to the floor, her hand covering her face, tears forming out of her eyes as she wept. She was crying, but it was a happy sort of crying. She knew that her parents were only there in the form of pictures but to her, after so much pain, so much worry, and so much doubt, she had finally seen them.

She could see them and she could remember them.

And she could remember what they told her.

She was not a bad guy.

_She was not a bad guy._

As she had looked upon their faces, all those memories of Turbo doting on her, they now meant NOTHING. They began to weaken, replaced by every moment of joy of her backstory, all those moments where she had felt real love between the people who cared about her. The two people who at the end of the day, meant the most to Taffyta.

The two people who made her the racer that she was.

Vanellope looked at Ralph, the girl not sure what to do but after a moment or so, she knew there was but one thing that Taffyta needed.

Both she and Ralph got on their knees next to her.

And embraced her….

Once former enemies…..now friends.

Just as it had happened in the story

"_Thank you."_ Taffyta said _"Thank you for giving me another chance."_


	38. Chapter 38- Our Future

Chapter Thirty Eight – Our Future

"So everythin' is clean?" aske Calhoun. Mouse was scanning the entire area for viruses, her meter showing an all clear.

"Yup!" the cadet smile "Man! I know this is nuts but I kinda wish we cudda been in there ta see how those kid took out that ol' nasty."

"Don't." Calhoun said rather bluntly "That thing caused enough damage AN" character loss for THREE arcades."

"I get ya, Sarge….." Mouse nodded, looking down at Sugar Rush "But wow…..I….I can't believe how beautiful this place really looks."

"I think I know what happened though."

"What?"

"Ralph might have blown King Candy away and pushed Vanellope over the finish line but there was still so much all tha racers had ta do in order to get their home back. Those kids fought for their home an' their memories an' lookin' at this place now? I'm GLAD they can finally have their game back tha way it was MEANT ta be."

Of course, once news got out of what had happened the game was flooded by more characters than ever before, people wanting to take a look at the newly refurbished castle in all its glory.

"Can we please see it?" said a little mouse avatar "I wanna see tha new throne!"

"I wanna see tha new kitchen!"

"Guys, guys! Slow down." Vanellope laughed "Don't wreck tha place before I've had a chance ta look at it myself!"

"'Sides, wreckin' is MY job!" Ralph said proudly.

"We just wanna see where the royal family lived!"

Vanellope felt a little odd at the request, blushing deeply "Um, well…."

"Yeah, where did you practice your driving?"

"Who was your teacher?"

"Did ya invite tha others over?"

Vanellope looked own sadly, sighing "Um, fellas?"

"Yeah?"

"Maybe we can hold this tour some other time? I-I have other things ta take care of."

The crowd let out a groan, disappointment all about.

"But hey, why don't ya look at tha shops? Or go see the Zaki Inn or Snowanna's new studio?" Vanellope suggested "Those places are cool an'-!"

"But those guys are just….they aren't Presidential!" said someone.

"W-Well no but-!"

"Are their homes really that exciting?"

"J-Just give 'em a chance, guys." Vanellope said "There is more ta Sugar Rush than just tha castle ya know. There are so many racers, so many stories, so many-!"

"But their stories aren't as important as YOURS! You're the Princess. Um, President?"

It seemed that some things weren't going to change.

"Guys?"

The crowd soon quickly got the message, the lot of them walking out the front doors.

"Kid, what's wrong?" Ralph asked as he followed Vanellope down the hall "Usually, ya would have just taken them ta see the others an'-!"

"Ralph…..I'm happy we got our memories back but….."

"Yeah?"

Vanellope looked at the massive throne room, feeling very alone and cold.

"Even with those memories, I can't block out that….that I was by myself."

"What?"

"Ralph…." Vanellope said, sitting on the floor next to the grand throne "Would ya think any different of me if I told ya in my story _**I**_ was a bully? That I used to hate 'BAD GUYS'? Nearly just as bad as a lotta other people here?"

The big wrecker could see the worry on his friend's face, sitting next to her and pulling her close.

"Backstories don't matter. It's who ya are outside of your role that matters."

"Ya say that….but ya know people out there don't care." Vanellope said "If they did, they wouldn't have gotten on tha guys so much when I told 'em ta leave 'em alone LONG ago. An' more than that, 'member when Beta made everyone turn on Taffyta when they told them her parents were 'bad'?"

How could Ralph forget?

"They say backstories don't matter…..but they're still usin' 'em ta make tha guys feel less than they are. An' when I think back ta my own story….I remember how alone I was."

"Ya were alone?"

Vanellope nodded "An' not because tha other kids bullied me or my parents forbid me ta play with 'em….I remember it all. I used ta make fun of THEM. I used ta make fun of THEM for not bein' Royals or not bein' good enough. An' when mom told me about tha Muttonfudges, about what Taffyta's father had done in tha past with Candicus…..I bullied HER because of that."

Vanellope drew her knees to her face.

"Taffyta used to make fun of me for being a glitch an' I can never forget that. But tha moment my story popped back into my head, I remember when I used to do tha same. I called her a MUTT. I called her a BAD GUY. She had Turbo behind her, I had my mom."

Vanellope was shaking at this point, recalling EVERY bitter exchange that she had Taffyta had had, both in story and out. Even if her own actions were just part of the 'plan' it didn't make Vanellope hurt any less, if only because she could see herself, HEAR herself, feel herself saying those things.

She could be President Von Schweetz but it could never fully erase her history nor could she forget it.

"That's why daddy wanted me ta race. It wasn't ta celebrate ME just because I was Princess. He wanted me ta see tha other kids as more than just outsiders an' he wanted ta show me that it wasn't right."

"That WHAT wasn't right?"

"That it wasn't right ta bully 'em or ta isolate myself from them." The girl moaned, putting her hands on her head "Tha entire point of our story WASN'T ta bully with me an' Taff takin' certain stage but Turbo comes in an' messes it up an' when he leaves, people still wanna mess with everyone! An' what makes it stink tha most is that its just repeatin' tha reason why no one wanted ta be my friend in tha game!"

Vanellope shivered at the thought.

"Why can't I do anythin', Ralph? I just…I just wanna have friends again! I want tha others ta be happy an' NOT have ta be weighed down by backstories or Turbo or whatever."

The girl looked up, looking at the massive stained glass window before her. It too had been reset to its proper place, showing the crest of all the Sugar Rush families before her, the rainbow of light beaming down on her and Ralph.

"I forgive 'em…." Vanellope said "I forgive 'em but I don't think anyone else will. An' that is tha thing that makes me see that I really can't use my glitch ta solve everythin'. They won't be able ta so anything' about it. I have you…I have Calhoun an' Felix….but whe someone messes with 'em, when someone tells them they're nothin', that they can't be anythin' other than Turbo's bully-squad they don't have their families ta come back ta. That's all Taffyta wanted an' I understand her now. She wanted what WE have an' after seein' what Beta had done, what people were sayin' about EVERYONE…..they do need someone."

"They have you." Ralph said "An'….an' I trust 'em too so if anythin' happens, I will help."

Vanellope smiled, wiping her nose on her sleeve "I-I guess that does help….but I wanna do somethin' more. I wanna make sure that…that from now on, someone will-!"

Ralph felt just as upset as his friend; he wanted to cheer her up but what could he possibly do to brighten a mood that had been so thoroughly taken over by gloom.

And idea!

"Kid?"

"Yeah?"

Ralph bent over, whispering something in Vanellope's ear…..

* * *

"What did you want to bring me here for?" asked Taffyta, Vanellope leading her down the halls.

"Heh, trust me on this Taffy-Butt." The vanilla racer smirked "You're lil secret mission gave me-!"

"AHEM!"

Both girls looked up, Ralph pouting towards himself.

"Ah, RALPH an idea."

"And what is that?"

"Lemme have your hand…." Vanellope said. Taffyta looked at the girl skeptically.

"You're not gonna do tha 'cuppa fart prank' are ya?"

"EW!" Vanellope cried in disgust "Who do ya think I am? GLOYD?!"

"Nelly, just tell me what's up." Taffyta scoffed, putting her hands on her hips "I don't have all day to-"

A key.

Vanellope dangled a golden key before the girl.

"What is this?"

"It's yours."

"Okay…." Taffyta said "But where does IT go to?"

Vanellope, that playful grin still on her face, turned towards the gran library of the castle. She swung the doors open, walking inside with the other two following her.

"Ya know, none of this would have started if it weren't for ya."

"You mean all the trouble?"

"Hey, I don't remember ya INVITIN' Beta on tha scene." Vanellope snickered "What I mean is, I don't think all of this would have been restore had ya not jumped in first."

"I just…."

Now Taffyta was blushing, trying her best to appear as cocky as possible.

"YOU did your thing to make your mark here, I…I just felt the need to do the same. People are still gonna act like I was trying to cheat though."

"I know ya weren't." said Vanellope "I know ya too well, Taffy and Muttonfudges never cheat. They're SCARY, I do remember that but they don't cheat."

Taffyta slid closer to Vanellope "_…..Do you NOT remember the Di Carmellos?_"

"Okay, second-place scary. Ya gotta admit, your mom is kinda….MALVA-ISH."

"VANELLOPE."

"Taffyta Muttonfudge!" Vanellope began with pride "As PRESIDENT of Sugar Rush I give you the OFFICIAL role of keeper of books, keeper of memory, an' all around person who knows all tha deep, munchy-crunchy coco crispity cool stuff about this game."

Taffyta's eyes widened, shocked at what she had heard.

"Y-You mean-?"

"This library? It's under your care. After all ya did to find everythin', ta put it back inta place it kinda showed me how much this really means ta ya an' there is no other friend here that I trust with keepin' it….than ya Taffyta."

Friend?

"Do….do you really mean that?"

"Yes." Nodded Vanellope "Yes I do."

The strawberry racer just didn't know what to say. She looked around the vast room, books towering and towering over her.

And she loved it.

"We got it back…."

"Huh?"

Taffyta laughed softly, wiping a tear from her eyes "We got out game back Vanellope."

"An' ya know what THAT means?" Vanellope said.

"What?"

"TIME TA GET TA THA KARTS!" Vanellope shouted, glitching out of the room.

"HEY!"

"Haha, catch me if ya can Mutton-Butt!" said Vanellope but Taffyta scowled, bending down and JUMPING with all her might before landing before Vanellope.

"WHOA!"

The pink girl rubbed her nails against her dress "Say, Vanellope. Do you remember those other moves my mama taught me?"

The strawberry racer waggled her finger.

"Looks like you're gonna have ta be faster than that now…."

"O-Oh, yeah? Did your mama also teach ya ta….ta have a big butt!? LIKE HER BUTT?!"

"Did your mama teach ya how to look even more like a dork in those terrible dresses?"

"I'm gonna burn those!"

"They'll come back, they'll always come back"

"Oh, BOOTY! I'll have Sakura make me better ones!"

"She's gonna be too busy makin' stuff for MEEEEEEEEE!"

Ralph stood at the end of the hall, watching the two girls go off together to the track. He remember when he came to Sugar Rush for the first time, how awful it had been but now?

Now Sugar Rush felt like a real home.

And finally, everyone felt welcomed in that home.


	39. Finale

Finale

"Give me another sugar spritzer!"

"Look buddy…." said the barkeep "That is your fifth drink. Why not just take da entire sugar bowl and put it in water or somethin'?"

"When ya put it like that….." hissed the cloaked figure "Ya make me sound like some sort of BUG."

The barkeep looked down, a mangle, jagged arm slithering from under the tattered rags of the cloak. Two maddened eyes looked down upon him, a toothy grin meeting him.

He knew he had said the wrong thing this time.

"A-Alright! Have all tha SPIRTH-! SPRITZ-! HAVE ALL YA WANT! ITS ON THA HOUSE!"

"Thank you…." The giant figure chuckled, its long tongue lapping up the water.

"Dude, I just got news from one of my old buddies at Litwak's!"

"Not now Sonny!"

"No, seriously!" said the rooster fighter "It was from Bowser!"

"BOWSER? That ol' duddy!"

"C'mon, just listen ta me!"

The huge figure perked up but didn't turn; Litwak's?

LITWAK'S?

"Some virus came in an' tried ta take over that ol' racin' game? Sugar Rush?"

The figure gripped onto the side of the bar, its claws digging in deeper and deeper.

"Yeah, so what?"

"Well, you're not gonna believe this but those kids took tha thing out!"

"WHAT?!"

"No way!"

"Yes, way!" nodded the rooster fighter "Ho-ho! Everyone in tha place has been talkin' about it! It sounds EPIC!"

"Sonny, ya told us that a virus wiped out nearly all the games in your old place. How can ya expect us ta believe a buncha KIDS just up an' beat some virus?"

"Hey, man. Bowser doesn't lie. If he says it, it's tha truth!"

"Ah, we get so much gossip in this place since we got 'connected'…." moaned the other patron, rolling his eyes "Things were a lot more peaceful before we could get gossip pourin' in…."

"You mean to tell me…."

The characters looked over, a shadow looming over them.

"WHOA!"

"That those mites beat….a VIRUS?"

A collection of damaged, insect-like legs pounded the ground, a long neck extending from under the cloth.

"A-A-AH! TH-that's what we heard!" Sonny gulped, backing away towards his drinking buddies D-"Don't kill the messenger-bird!"

The figure laughed warmly, trilling it long claw-like fingers together.

"Oh-ho-ho! DO not worry gentlemen. My taste buds are not craving YOUR code."

The other characters began to loosen but if only just so. This 'new' guy had only been in their arcade for a few days, claiming to be have been a 'homeless' soul from a game unplugged decades ago.

But no one could recall him, not a figure like HIM.

His inner gears whirled and clicked, the nauseating smell of burning sugar filling the entire bar as its fury grew.

Sugar Rush had been spared again?

No, no! Not again!

The figure growled deeply, turning and bolting from the bar but not before making sure to purposely knock over a few things on its way out. It scrabbled into the station, characters moving out of the way in fright.

"_**I…I CAN NOT LET THIS STAND!**_" roared the creature, a familiar lisp in its speech "I did not crawl out of the mire of that PATHETIC arcade to hear those little BRATS are being hailed as heroes! _**LITWAK'S SHOULD HAVE BURNED! IT SHOULD HAVE-!**_"

The figure dug its claws into the wall, it sharp teeth bearing down, wanting nothing more than to rip into the flesh of those who had stolen everything from him, everything that he had worked so hard to build and achieve.

"_I've got to get out of here….."_ the figure growled "Litwak's has only one true ruler and it was ALWAYS meant to be me!"

The figure threw back his head and laughed, laughed hard and long at the thought, the images of watching Litwak bend to his will.

"Oh-hoo-hoo! I'm getting way too nostalgic here. But….but it has been a long time since I've felt so…_Turbo Tastic._"


End file.
